FOODS ANIMAL PRODUCTION. 183 



There may here be a withdrawal of protein from other structures to effect repair in 

 muscles, similar to the transference of material seen in starvation, the protein por- 

 tion being retained, while the nucleic acid portion is excreted. . . . 



"Our conclusions show the importance of two points long known to athletes and 

 others doing excessive muscular work. The one is the importance of proper train- 

 ing, for by it an abstraction of proteid matter from tissues other than muscle can be 

 avoided; the other is the importance of their beiug a sufficiency of proteiu in the 

 diet to condensate for the loss which occurs. An abundance of protein in the diet 

 of an athlete has other functions to fulfill beside this. It is required during training 

 for building up the energy liberating mechanism — the protoplasm of muscle — and it 

 is also required after work to repair that mechanism. The benefits of training are 

 well known in other ways, such as preparing the heart for suddenly increased duty 

 and limiting the niter fatigue effects." 



Muscular exertion and gaseous exchange, L. Schnyder (luattg. Diss., Bern. 

 Munich: R. Oldenboiirg, 1896, pp. 33, Jigs. .'). — A number of experiments with man in 

 which the respiratory quotient was determined are reported. Some of the subjects 

 were in health, others were convalescent. The principal conclusions reached were 

 that muscular work increases metabolism, as shown by the increased production of 

 carbon dioxid. The increase, however, is diminished if the labor is continued until 

 it becomes habitual. In the same way an improvement in the general physical con- 

 dition — that is, a gain in strength — lowers the increased metabolism. 



Investigation on the source of muscular energy, K. Kaiser (Ztachr. Biol., 36, 

 No. 3, pp. 358-419, pi. 1).—A number of experiments were made with the muscles of 

 frogs. The subject of muscular energy is discussed from a mathematical standpoint. 



A further study of the influence of alcohol and alcoholic drinks upon diges- 

 tion, with special reference to secretion, R. H. Chittenden, L. B. Mendel, and 

 H. C. Jackson ( Amer. Jour. Physiol., 1 (1S9S), Xo. 2, pp. 164-209). — Supplementing pre- 

 vious work on the effect of alcohol and alcoholic drinks upon the processes of diges- 

 tion (E. S. II., 7, p. 971), the authors made a number of experiments with dogs. 

 Some of the more important conclusions follow: The presence of strong alcohol or 

 an alcoholic beverage in the mouth has a direct stimulating effect, causing for a 

 short time an increase in the tlow of saliva. Not only is the volume of saliva 

 increased, but also the amount of organic and inorganic constituents. This effect is 

 not peculiar to alcohol, but is common to dilute acid (vinegar), ether vapor, etc., and 

 is aualagous to the effect produced by electrically exciting the nerves of the salivary 

 glands. It was not found that alcoholic fluids absorbed from the stomach had any 

 influence upon the amount or composition of the saliva. Thus, when alcohol was 

 introduced directly into the stomach of dogs by injection through the stomach wall 

 no effect upon the salivary secretion was observed. "Hence, so far as our results 

 go, alcohol and alcoholic fluids are without any specific effect upon the secretion of 

 saliva except to produce a transitory stimulation of secretion while in the mouth 

 cavity." 



Alcohol or alcoholic fluids increase very greatly the dow of gastric juice and its 

 content of acid and total solids. That is, it contains more acid, more solid matter, 

 and more combined hydrochloric acid than the ordinary secretion. It is also 

 strongly proteolytic. An increase in the secretion of gastric juice is produced not 

 only by alcoholic fluids in the stomach, but also indirectly by alcohol absorbed from 

 the intestine, even if the latter is ligated. 



"If these results are considered in connection with our previous observations upon 

 the influence of alcohol and alcoholic drinks upon the purely chemical processes of 

 gastric digestion, it is seen that side by side with the greater or lesser retardation 

 of digestive proteolysis caused by alcoholic beverages there occurs an increased How 

 of gastric juice rich in acid and of unquestionable digestive, power. The two effects 

 may thus normally counterbalance each other, though it is evident that modifying 

 conditions may readily retard or stimulate the processes of the stomach according to 



