566 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. [Vol. 40 



min, which is of the nature of an enzym, and (2) the use of certain foods 

 which are the direct and Immediate cause of the disease. It is thought that 

 carbohydrates constitute the second factor, undergoing in the absence of the 

 vitamin an aberrant hydrolysis, with the production of toxic by- <>r end- 

 products, thus producing beri-beri. 



The author points out that the physical chemistry of the vitamins and meta- 

 bolism in beri-beri must be investigated more completely before the pathogene- 

 sis of the disease can be fully understood. 



A bibliography of 26 titles is appended. 



The relation of the intestinal flora to the scurvy of guinea pigs and of 

 infants, J. C. Tobbti ami A. F. Hkss {Proa Boa Bxpt. Biol. and >/»</.. 15 

 {1918), No. ■'>, pp. 7f-78). — From results obtained in a study of the Intestinal 

 flora of normal and BCOrbutic guinea pigs iintl the fecal flora of BCOrbutlC in- 

 fants, the authors conclude that scurvy, both of guinea plgS and infants, is not 



associated with an overgrowth of putrefactive bacteria in the Intestinal tract. 



The effect of the maternal ingestion of desiccated placenta upon the rate 

 of growth of breast-fed infants, F. S. 11 \mmi i i {Jour, Biol. Ohi m . 96 t 1918), 

 No. ■•'. i>i>- 569-573, fly. l). — The maternal Ingestion of desiccated placenta, pre- 

 pared as previouslj noted (B. s. u., 87, p. B73), was found to produce an in- 

 crease in the rate of growth and in the growth capacity of breast-fed infants 

 above thai normally occurring. This Is considered to be due to the presence 

 in the placenta of some a- yet unidentified growth-promoting substance. 



Action of enzyms on human placenta, V. .1. Humum; and I Q, Yo\ VQ 

 {Jour. Biol cii< hi., 86 {1918), No. 3, /-/< | \ short study i- reported 



of the action of the digestive enzyms in vitro upon the placenta preparation 

 previously noted by Bammetl and McNeils 1 1-:. s. i; , .".7. p, 878) and of the 



digestibility of the preparation as determined by feeding experl nts with 



iIol:*.. The placenta was readilj attacked hy pepsin, trypsin, and erepsin, and 

 hydrolized bj weak acid- anil alkalis It- digestibility was found to \u- about 

 the same as that of hall meat 



A metabolism study of a case of leukemia during radium treatment. A. 

 Kmhson and T. BXDOfl {BOttOU \hil. umi Suni. JOUT., 176 (1917), \ ". / }. //// 



.",'/.: .",(/?. mix. ..'I. This Investigation was mad.- in conjunction with a clinical 



study of a class of myelogenous leukemia treated by surface application of 



radium. The diet, while not carefully regulated, was practically purln-free 

 throughout the Investigation. 



\ stud] of the metabolic output of the patient showed, according to the data 

 given, that the excretions of total nitrogen, urea, ammonia, ami phosphates 

 wi'iv enormously increased Immediately after the action of radium, the phos- 

 phates Increasing as inch as KM per cent at time- over the excretion at the 

 beginning of treatment The uric acid output was only slightly Increased. It 

 would seem that surface applications of radium over the spleen accelerate the 

 disintegration of nucleln and tissue, which results in the above Incre as e s, The 

 uric acid, which would naturally be expected to be formed bj the disintegration, 

 is probably further broken up. 



ANIMAL PRODUCTION. 



Growth and form, 1»'A. \V. THOMPSON {OombfidOi \i'ini.]: 1'niv 1917, 



l>l>. \ I / i 798, Im.s. \08 | The purpose Of this volume i< to point out how readily 



simple dynamical considerations provide adequate interpretations of the growth 

 and conformation of animals and plants, it was written "a< an easy Introduc- 

 tion to the studj of organic form, by methods which arc the commonpl 



of physical B< tence, which are by no means novel in their application to natural 



