282 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



(1904), No. 4, pp. 326-329).— As the result of a prolonged chemical and biological 

 study of bee poison the author concludes that this poison contains 3 distinct active prin- 

 ciples, viz., a body which causes an elevation of temperature and which is destroyed 

 at a temperature of 100° C, a toxin which produces muscular -convulsions and which 

 does not resist prolonged boiling, and a toxin which exercises a stupefying effect and 

 which is not completely destroyed until a temperature of 150° 0. is reached. 



The existence of 2 toxins exhibiting antagonistic action is considered a new dis- 

 covery, and further study will be made for the purpose of determining whether this 

 fact can be made use of in a practical manner. 



Sericulture (Japan in the Beginning of the 20th Century. Tokyo: Imperial Japanese 

 Commission to the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, 1904, PP- 133-150).— A historical 

 statement is presented regarding government aid to this industry in former times, 

 legislative measures for protecting sericulture, together with numerous data on the 

 present condition of the industry in Japan. Statistics are presented on silkworm 

 eggs, silk production, and reeling. 



FOODS— NUTRITION. 



Hygienic studies of flour and bread. XIII, Concerning flour, dough, and 

 bread acids, Dombrowsky (Arch. Hyg., 50 (1904), No. 2, pp. 97-117).— Various 

 problems connected with the acidity of flour and bread were studied. Among the 

 conclusions drawn were the following: The total acidity of the samples analyzed, 

 calculated as lactic acid, ranged from 0.36 to 0.52 per cent of the dry matter with rye 

 flour and 0.23 to 0.4 per cent with wheat flour. The acidity of dough is influenced 

 aside from the time and temperature of the fermentation by the quantity of water 

 used in mixing, that is, by the concentration of the dough. 



By kneading the dough with water about 75 per cent of the total acid present may 

 be readily removed. When bread is baked, 75 per cent of the acid of rye bread, 70 

 per cent of that of gray bread, and 58.5 per cent of that of wheat bread remains in 

 the loaf. Other conclusions have to do with the kind and amount of the acids 

 present and the relation of acidity to yeast and other micro-organisms. 



Concerning wheat flour, H. Stein (Ztschr. Untersuch. NaJir. u. Genussmtl., 7 

 (1904), No. 12, pp. 730-742). — Different methods of separating gluten were compared, 

 and the properties of gluten, methods of examining wheat flour, and the ferments of 

 wheat were studied. According to the author, the addition of separated gluten to 

 wheat flour might be profitably undertaken by bakers in place of blending. As 

 regards the ferments of wheat, the author considers it probable that 2 are present, 

 one of these apparently softening the gluten. The effect of wheat ferments on the 

 character of the dough is briefly spoken of. 



Examination of foods, condiments, and commercial products, M. Ball6 

 (Jahrb. Chem. Nahr. Untersuch. Budapest, 4 (1901-3), pp. 123; abs. in Oeslerr. Chem. 

 Ztg., 7 (1904), No. 12, p. 273). — Data are given regarding the examination of a large 

 number of foods and condiments. 



The effect of alcohol, alcoholic drinks, tea, and coffee upon peptic diges- 

 tion, N. J. Pawlowski (Russk. Vrach., 2 (1903), p. 1475; abs. in Ztschr. Untersuch. 

 Nahr. u. Genussmtl, 8 (1904), No. 2, pp. 156, 157).— Tea and coffee, according to the 

 author, diminished the digestive action of pepsin, an effect which must be attributed 

 to some other constituent than caffein, since this was shown to have no effect on the 

 digestion of protein by pepsin. Alcohol and alcoholic beverages also diminished the 

 ferment action in the experiments reported. Conclusions were also drawn regarding 

 the other subjects studied. 



Concerning the chemical composition of coffee and coffee substitutes, F. 

 Duchac'EK (Ztschr. Untersuch. Nahr. u. Genussmtl, 8 (1904), No. 2, pp. 139-146).— 

 The composition of the original material and extract matter of coffee and coffee sub- 



