274 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. [Vol. 40 



due primarily to the absorption of toxic products of bacterial metabolism from 

 the intestines. 



The occurrence of creatin and creatinin in the blood in normal and patho- 

 logical conditions. — II, Observations in the young. Further discussion in 

 regard to the development of methods, J. Feigl (Biochem. Ztschr., S-} (1917), 

 No. 3-.',. pp. saf-280; aba. in Chem. Abe., IS (1918), No. 22, p. i860).— Tables are 

 given of the creatin and creatinin content of the blood of children under 10 

 years and from 10 to 15 years of age. The creatinin content was found to be 

 lower in children up to 15 years than in adult men. 



Methods for determining creatinin are discussed, and attention is called to 

 the necessity of employing pure reagents. 



The influence of iodin and sodium iodid on the circulation, W. Sat.ant and 

 A. K. Livingston (Amcr. Jour. Physiol., ',1 (HUG), No. 2. pp. 241,-2','.), figs. 12).— 

 The authors, :it the Bureau of Chemistry, V. S. Department of Agriculture, 

 have studied the Influence of iodin and sodium lodid on the circulation in fn 

 . and ('. 



It was found that dilute solutions of molecular iodin perfused through the 

 isolated frog heart produced cardiac irregularity and depressing aftereffe 

 These were much more marked after the use of more concentrated solutions, 

 but were decreased l>y the presence of olive oil in the perfusion fluid. Intra- 

 venous injection of iodin caused marked depression of the circulation in cats, 

 but was without effect on dogs. Sodium iodid was in all cases much less toxic 

 than iodin, although a solution of 0.5 per cent in Ringer's solution perfused 

 through the frog heart produced slight depression. 



It is suggested that "the action of molecular iodin is due to formation of 

 additive compounds With the unsaturated fatty adds present in the frog heart. 

 The action of iodin on the circulation <>f the cat might be due to the presence 

 in the heart of large amounts of unsaturated fatty acids or perhaps to acids 

 that are more unsaturated than those in the heart of the dog and also to the 

 presence of smaller amounts of some of the Lipoids in the blood serum of the cat 

 than in that of the dog. The action of sodium iodid on the frog heart Is prob- 

 ably due to physical action with the lipoids of the heart. Rapid elimination is 

 suggested as a possible cause of the negative results obtained after the intrave- 

 nous administration of sodium iodid to Cats and dogs." 



Changes in the hydrogen-ion concentration of muscle during work. .1. 

 Goldbeboeb (liiochcm. Ztschr., 84 (1917), .\«. •'?-•}. W **•« '" Chem. 



Abs., 12 (1918) No. U, p. 1482). — The reaction of extract of frogs' muscle I 

 found to he slightly acid. The hydrogen-ion concentration of the muscle in- 

 creased during work. The acidity as determined hy titration to phenolph- 

 thalein was found to be from 7 to 10.000 times higher than as elect rometrioally 

 determined. The increased acidity duo to work is considered to be caused by 

 volatile adds, principally carbon dioxid. 



ANIMAL PRODUCTION. 



Genetics and eugenics, W. E. Castle (Cambridge: Harvard Univ. PYese, 

 V.HG, pp. V1+S5S, pis. '87, fi08. 29).— The subtitle calls this volume a textfr 

 for students of biology and a reference book lor animal and plant breeders. 

 The main emphasis, however, is on animal genetics, plants being dealt with only 

 incidentally and eugenics being confined 1.. a separate section of loss than 

 50 pages. The first seven chapters trace the history of evolutionary thought 

 from Lamarck to DeVries, and then follows a four-chapter exposition of i 

 mentary mendelism. Succeeding chapters hring together much hitherto scat- 

 tered material on the unit characters of rodents, cattle, and ether domestic 



