EDITORIAL. 203 



lated albumin or globulin by the action of rennet ferment. Such facts 

 point to a possible explanation of the way in which proteoses and pep- 

 tones may be changed to the albumins and globulins of blood and tissue. 



A great d<-al of attention has been given at the Medical Academy in 

 latter years to the study of the nutritive values of food by chemical 

 analysis of a large number of materials in common use in Russia and by 

 experiments on their digestibility by man. Investigators in other insti- 

 tutions have likewise interested themselves in this subject, so that the 

 amount of data already accumulated in this particular field is very large. 

 Dietary studies have also been actively prosecuted during a number of 

 years past. 



The Imperial Institute of Experimental -Medicine in St. Petersburg 

 is likewise carrying on most valuable researches. This institution is 

 one of the best equipped in Europe. It has extensive grounds and 

 some thirty buildings, which, with their contents, are valued at 590,000 

 rubles ($304,000). According to the annual report for 1895 the income 

 of the institution for that year was about $240,000, the Government 

 giving $67,000. The institute is devoted primarily lo experimental 

 research upon the causes of disease, especially the infections diseases. 

 It has six sections, each with a director and assistants, who have a 

 laboratory and ample facilities for their work. The section of biological 

 chemistry was established at the outset, the present director being 

 Prof. M. von \Nencki. A section of general physiology is in charge of 

 Prof. I. Pavlov, who is also connected with the Medical Academy, and 

 Dr. S. Winogradsky is at the head of the section of general micro- 

 biology. The head of the institute is Dr. Lukianov. who is also direc- 

 tor of the section of general pathology. While the ultimate purpose 

 of the institute is to obtain knowledge of value in the departments of 

 pathology and hygiene, the broad scope and thoroughly scientific spirit 

 of the work are such that a great deal of research is carried on which 

 is of interest to workers in our experiment stations and to those engaged 

 in studies on the nutrition of man. This is notably the case with the 

 investigations of Drs.Nencki, Pavlov, and Winogradsky and their asso- 

 ciates. Fortunately, the results of this research are published in French 

 as well as in Eussian, under the title Archives des Sciences Biologiques. 

 It is worthy of mention that a long series of experimental investigations 

 by Professor Pavlov on digestion and the digestive juices have been 

 summarized in a book by him of which an edition in German is soon to 

 appear. 



The physiological and chemical institutes of the Imperial University 

 in St. Petersburg are likewise places of active experimental research. 

 Indeed, even a list of the scientific establishments in that city, the 

 work of which would be extremely interesting to English readers if it 

 could be better known by them, would be too long for insertion here. 



While no other city in Russia can compare with St. Petersburg in 

 its scientific institutions, a great deal of excellent work is being carried 



