1918.] FOODS HUMAN- NUTRITION. 869 



probably dependent on the types of bacteria present and on the extent of the 

 softening, a decrease being more likely to occur when the ice cream is softened 

 at a higher temperature since, under these conditions, the rehardeuing has a 

 more destructive action." 



The dietary deficiency of cereal foods with reference to their content in 

 " antineuritic vitamin," C. Voegtlin, G. C. Lake, and C. N. Myers {Pub. 

 Health Rpts. [U. S.}, 33 (1918), No. 18, pp. 647-666, flos. 7).— The report deals 

 with the occurrence of the antineuritic vitamin (water-soluble B) in corn and 

 wheat. Experiments were made on laboratory animals (chickens and pigeons) 

 to determine whether bread made from " white " flour or highly-milled corn 

 meal includes all the essential food elements contained In the intact grain. 

 The following conclusions are reached : 



" The results obtained in this investigation clearly show that for pigeons an 

 exclusive diet of whole wheat or corn furnishes an adequate supply of anti- 

 neuritic vitamin. The antineuritic vitamin seems to reside in the peripheral 

 layers and the germ of these seeds, whereas the endosperm is relatively poor 

 in this substance. 



"If wheat and corn foods containing only a small percentage of the peripheral 

 layers and germ of the seed are fed to pigeons and chickens exclusive of other 

 food, polyneuritic symptoms appear on an average of three weeks after the 

 beginning of the feeding periotl. The appearance of polyneuritis is preceded 

 by a gradual loss in body weight. The birds can be relieved of their paralysis 

 in a striking way by the oral or subcutaneous administration of a highly-con- 

 centrated preparation of antineuritic vitamin derived from ' whole-wheat ' 

 breadf. yeast, ox liver, rice polishings, or beans. 



"The addition of yeast (in amounts use by bakers) in the preparation of 

 bread from highly-milled flour does not prevent the appearance of polyneuritis 

 in birds fed on this food [exclusively], but prolongs slightly the period of in- 

 cubation. The addition to ' highly-milled ' flour, or bread made from ' highly- 

 milled ' flour, of a small amount of antineuritic vitamin preparation will 

 correct this particular dietary deficiency, and will prevent the appearance of 

 polyneuritis and the loss of bodj' weight. The total phosphorus content of corn 

 and wheat foods is a fairly satisfactory index of the amount of antineuritic 

 vitamin contained in these foods. In a general way, it can be said that a high 

 total phosphorus content is an indication that the particular corn or wheat 

 product is relatively rich in antineuritic vitamin." 



The origin of creatin. — II, L. Baumann and H. M. Hines {Jour. Biol. Chem., 

 31 {1917), No. 3, pp. 549-559). — Continuing previous work^ this article reports 

 experiments made to determine whether the animal organism possesses the 

 power to convert glycocyamin into creatin. 



The authors conclude that their experiments offer no " evidence for the 

 methylation of glycocyamin by muscle or liver tissue in vitro. Tlie injection of 

 glycocyamin into rabbits and dogs may be followed by an increased excretion 

 of creatin." 



The effect of starvation on the catalase content of the tissues, W. E. 

 BuRGE and A. J. Neiix {Amer. Jour. Physiol., 43 {1917), No. 1, pp. 58-61). — 

 Experiments made upon 12 laboratory animals (rabbits) led the authors to 

 conclude that the " catalase content of the heart, which is not autolyzed during 

 starvation, remains normally high while the catalase content of the fat and 

 skeletal muscles, which are autolyzed during starvation, is greatly decreased. 

 In view of the fact that the catalase content of a muscle is directly propor- 

 tional to the amount of oxidation in the muscle, and that the autolyzing 



iJoiu-. Biol. Chem., 22 (1915), No. 1, pp. 49-53, 



