FOODS ANIMAL PRODUCTION. 



513 



The nutritive value of casein, Gr. Marcvsf. {PJiUger^s Arch. Physiol., 

 64{189G),Xo.5-6,i)i).223-2i8). — The author gives au extended review of 

 the attempts made to determine the nutritive value of casein and reports 

 a number of original experiments. The subjects were 2 dogs. Eight 

 experiments were made in all. Six of these maybe divided into series 

 of 2 experiments each. In series 1 and 2 a period on meat diet was 

 followed by a period on casein. In series 3 the order was reversed. 

 The amount of nitrogen consumed daily was practicall}' the same in 

 each case. In experiments 7 and 8 casein and casein-calcium were fed. 

 Fat and starch were fed with the meat and casein ; meat extract was 

 generally added to make the food more palatable. With the casein a 

 mixture of salts approximating milk ash was also fed. The water 

 drunk was recorded. The feces were usually separated by feeding 

 infusorial earth or sometimes small porcelain beads in capsules. The 

 nitrogen in the food, urine, and feces was determined. The urine was 

 collected with a catheter. 



The results of the experiment are briefly summarized in the follow- 

 ing table : 



Besults of feediny meat and casein. 



Food consumed daily. 



JOO gm. of meat with lard, starch, and meat extract.. 

 27 gni. of casein, with hird, starch, and meat extract. 

 100 gm. of meat with lard, starch, and meat extract.. 

 27 gill, of casein with lard, starch, meat extract, and 



sodium hicarbouate 



27 gm. of casein with lard, starch, and salts 



100 gm. of meat with lard, starch, meat extract, and 



sodium bicarbonate 



30 gm. of casein, 9 gm. casein-calcium, with bacon, 



.starch, and salts 



22.5 gm. of casein, 9 gm. casein -calcium, with bacon, 



sodium bicarbonate, and salts 



Ex- 

 peri- 

 ment 



No. 



Dura- 

 tion 



TOri-' gen con. 

 ilient. «--«d 



Total 

 nitro- 



Days. 

 12 



7 

 5 



5 

 5 



Gm. 

 44. 679 

 25. 863 

 18. 155 



18. 660 

 17. 780 



25. 007 



67. 521 



30.771 



Total 

 nitro- 

 gen in 

 urine. 



Gm. 

 51. 080 

 24. 276 

 18. 531 



18. 302 

 17. 895 



23. 634 



59. 007 

 26. 472 



Total 

 nitro- 

 gen in 

 feces. 



Gm. 

 1.955 

 2.109 

 1.106 



.747 



1.167 



.909 



1.051 



Gain (-f) 



or 

 loss(— ) 



in 

 nitrogen. 



Gm. 

 —8. 356 



— .522 

 —1. 482 



— .389 



— .787 



+ .206 

 -f7.605 

 +3. 248 



The conclusion is reached that casein has the same nutritive value as 

 the albumin in meat. 

 Experiments on the nutritive value of the horse-chestnut, P. 



Gay {Ann. Agron., 22 {1S9(J), So. u, pp. 101-423). — By analysis and by 

 feeding experiments with sheep, pigs, and a cow the following conclu- 

 sions were reached : Horse chestnuts have a feeding value about 3 times 

 as great as beets; cooking adds to their value; sheep and cows eat them 

 readily; the quality of the milk is not aft'ected and it was consumed by 

 calves without bad results; pigs do not relish horse-chestnuts. 



The formation of pentoses and their behavior in the plant and 

 animal organism, K. Goetze and T. Pfeiffer [Landir. Vcm. Stat., 

 47 {1896), Xo. 1, pp. 58-93). — The authors made a number of experi- 

 ments with oats, beans, and peas to find (1) at what stage of growth 

 pentoses are formed, (2) the relation of pentoses to the formation 

 of other substances, and (3) the influence of light on the formation of 



