1917] FOODS — HUMAN NUTRITION". 763 



Misguided appetite and the high cost of living, A. E. Perkins (Mo. Bui 

 Ohio Sta., 1 {1916), No. 12, pp. S63-310, fig. 1).—A more or less popular article 

 dealing chiefly with the food requirements of the body and the use of milk 

 and skim milk in the diet. 



Electrical cooking and heating, Edna Groves (Jour. Electricity, 38 {1917), 

 No. 4, pp. 116-118, fig. 1). — This article discusses essentially cost data. 



[Report of the] nutrition laboratory, F. G. Benedict {Carnegie Inst. Wash- 

 ington, Year Book 15 {1916), pp. 273-285). — The work of the laboratory during 

 the year 1916 is reviewed. Various additions to the laboratory equipment are 

 described and brief outlines are given of the investigations in progress. The 

 latter include a study of metabolism during muscular work, metabolism in 

 rectal feeding with alcohol and simple sugars, the influence of moderate 

 amounts of alcohol on psychological processes, metabolism in diabetes, metab- 

 olism of normal infants, influence of environmental temperature on metabolism, 

 etc. A list of the publications issued by the laboratory during the year is 

 given, together with brief abstracts of the same. 



On the role of organic acids in the process of peptic digestion, I. V. Bel- 

 GOWSKY {Zap. Helsk. Khoz. Irifit. I in/). Petra I {Mem. In.st. Agrcm. Emp. Pierre 

 I), 1 {1916), pp. 70-100). — This publication reports experiments carried out 

 to determine whether or not an acid medium is necessary for a normal course 

 of digestion and whether the activity of the peptic ferment is possible only in 

 the presence of acids. It was also desired to obtain some information on the 

 r51e of the various acids in digestion. 



From the experimental data reported the conclusion is drawn that lactic, 

 butyric, propionic, acetic, and valerianic acids, present in the digestive juice 

 in a quantity corresponding to 0.25 per cent of hydrochloric acid, can not replace 

 the latter. With reference to the influence of organic acids on pepsin, it is 

 stated that the acids are more or less passive as regards albumin, and in some 

 cases butyric acid decreases the activity of the pepsin. 



Pellagra {Kansas City, Mo.: Burton Publishing Co., 1916, pp. 362, figs. 49). — 

 The first part of this publication contains a contribution to the etiology and 

 pathogenesis of pellagra by G. Alessandrini and A. Scala, which has been 

 translated from the Italian by E. M. Perdue. This reports the results of ani- 

 mal experiments and other data, from which the authors concluded that 

 pellagra " is the effect of a chronic intoxication which is caused by silica in 

 colloidal solution in water of determinate compositon, and, therefore, may be 

 also defined as a disease caused by colloidal minerals." 



The second part of the publication is a review of the pellagra situation in 

 the United States, which is considered from the theory of colloidal silica 

 brought out in the earlier part of the publication. The subject matter of this 

 book is not in accordance with the generally accepted results of workers on 

 pellagra in this country. 



Studies in pellagra {Pub. Health Sew. U. S., Hyg. Lab. Bui. 106 {1917), pp. 

 5-102, pis. 7). — Three papers are presented. 



I. Tissue alteration in malmitrition and liellagra, by J. Sundwall (pp. 5-73, 

 pis. 7). — The results are reported of the examination of tissue obtained at 

 necropsies of pellagrins and of tissue obtained at autopsies of certain animals 

 which had been fed various diets with a view to producing, if possible, symp- 

 toms and tissue changes which are found in pellagra. The conclusion is drawn 

 from these observations that the tissue alterations, including the degenerative 

 changes in the nervous system occurring in the animals as a result of malnu- 

 trition, were strikingly similar to those observed in pellagrous tissue. The 

 author states that there could be no objection from a pathological standpoint 

 to the classification of pellagra along with rickets, scurvy, and beri-beri as a 



