156 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



An outline of the diet of man in health and disease, H. Schlesinger and H. 

 Becker (Grnndziige der Ernahrung des gesiinden und hranken Mensclien. Frankfort : 

 H. Bechhold, pp. 60). — The authors give briefly the principles of diet, describe vari- 

 ous foods and condiments, and suggest a number of menus which are very low 

 priced. 



How to feed children : A mannal for mothers, nurses, and physicians, Louise 

 M. HOGAN {Philadcljihia: J. B. Lipinncott Co., pp. 236). — The book is a practical dis- 

 cussion of the foods suited to infants and children, methods of preparing foods, and 

 the diet suited to various conditions of health and disease. 



Rules of diet for health and disease, J. Borntrager (Didt-Vorschriften fiir 

 Gesunde und Kranle jeder Art. Leipzig: H. Hartung und SoJin, 1S96, Sd ed.). 



The relation, as shown by the respiratory quotient, between the expenditure 

 of energy by a muscle and the shortening it undergoes, A. Chauveau {Compt. 

 Bend., 123 {1896), No. 3, pp. 151-155; abs. in Bev. Sclent., ser. 4, 6 (1896), Ko. 5, p. 152).— 

 For a given amount of external work done by the muscle the energy is smaller as 

 the muscle is nearer its maximum length. 



On the transformation of fat into carbohydrates in animals consuming no 

 food, A. Chauveau (Compt. Bend., 122 (1S96), No. 20, pp. 1098-1103).— Wihevnating 

 animals sometimes increase in weight. In the author's opinion this may be 

 accounted for by the partial oxidation of stearin of fatty tissue to glycose, carbon 

 dioxid, and water. In this case the respiratory quotient should be constant and 

 •qual to about 0.78. 



Source and nature of potential energy directly utilized in muscular ■work as 

 shown by the respiratory quotient in fasting man, A. Chauveau (Compt. Bend., 

 122 (1896), No. 21, pp. 1163-1169; Bev. Scient., ser. 4, 5 (1896), No. 20, p. 726).— The 

 respiratory quotient increases rapidly when muscular work is commenced, but 

 diminishes if the work is prolonged. After an hour's rest the respiratory quotient 

 is normal. The following conclusions are reached: 



(1) The evidence furnished by the respiratory quotient seems to indicate that fat 

 is not used directly by the muscles in the production of energy even by a fasting 

 man. 



(2) The energy for muscular exertion is furnished by carbohydrates. 



(3) Muscular exertion exhausts the reserve of glycogen and glycose when these 

 reserve materials are stored up. There is a tendency to renew these materials as 

 they are used in spite of fasting. The respiratory quotient indicates that this takes 

 place at the expense of fats, which are thus indirectly the source of muscular 

 energy. 



The respiratory quotient of animals either fasting or fed a diet rich in 

 carbohydrates "when muscular contractions are produced by means of elec- 

 tricity: Deduction concerning the potential energy directly expended in 

 internal muscular exertion, A. Chauveau and F. Laulanie (Compt. Bend., 122 

 (1896), No. 22, pp. 1244-1250). — Experiments were made with dogs and with rabbits 

 which confirm the authors' previous conclusions (see above). 



The utilization of fat in food from the evidence furnished by the respiratory 

 quotient as to the potential energy used for muscular work by a man on a diet 

 of fat, A. Chauveau, Tissot, and de Varigny (Compt. Bend., 122 (1S96), No. 21, pp. 

 1169-1173; abs. in Bev. Scient., ser. 4, 5 (1896), No. 23, p. 7^7).— Experiments are 

 reported which in the authors' opinion show that fat is transformed into reserve 

 material (carbohydrates) which serve as the source of muscular energy. 



On the nature of the chemical processes involved in muscular action, A. 

 Chauveau (Compt. Bend., 122 (1896), No. 23, pp. 1303-1309) .-The author cites many 

 authorities and defends his position on the above question. 



Practical results of experiments in metaboiism conducted on the w^orking 

 horse, Zuntz (Deut. landw. Presse, 23 (1896), Nos. 64, p. 571; 65, pp. 579, 580).— In the 

 form of a lecture the author discusses some of the results of experiments on the 

 metabolism of work horses. 



