660 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. [Vol 40 



S. R., 37, p. 890), the actual quantities of the chief foods consumed during the 

 year 1916 are given and compared with the prewar consumption. 



Food situation in Germany November 1, 1917, to January 31, 1918, A. 

 Maylandeb (Mo. Rev., U. S. Bur. Labor Statis., 6 (1918), Xo. 5, pp. 45-53). — 

 This article has been compiled from translations and digests of data which 

 appeared in various German daily papers. It contains information concerning 

 the quality and quantity of the individual foods then avallahle. 



Food situation in Germany during the summer of 1918, A. Mayi.anhek 

 (Mo. Rev., U. 8. Bur. Labor Stalls. , 7 (1918), No. 5, pp. 5-28).— A continuation 

 of the above. 



The food requirements of a " normal " working-class family, H. Thompson 

 (Sci. Prog. [London], 13 (1918), No. 49, pp. ?.''- 88 >.— The author in attempting 

 to solve this problem estimates the food requirement of a "normal" family to 

 have a "man value" of 4.5, and discusses three instances in which the food 

 actually consumed by families of the laboring class had a man value of 

 approximately 4.5. One study was made in 1903, another in 1!M>4, and the third 

 in 1917. P.rend ami meat constituted about 80 per cent of the total energy in 

 all cases. Three other estimates are also given illustrating a different way in 

 which the food requirements of the family in question can be approximately 

 determined. 



Biological values of wheat and almond nitrogen, A. F. ftfoBSAH and A. M. 

 Heinz (Jour. Biol. <h<m., 37 (191U\. So. >. />/>. 215-JJJ >.— The biological 

 values of wheat gluten and almond meal were determined by the usual minimum 

 nitrogen feeding method and calculated according to the formulas propos ed 

 by Thomas (E. S. It., 23, p. <>>>). Two relatively protein-free basal ration-; were 

 employed, the first rich in total carbohydrates but pom- in ceiluloae, and the 

 second of the same total carbohydrate content but rich in cellulose 



When as much as 0.102 gin. of gluten per kilogram of body weight was fed. a 

 positive nitrogen balance was obtained, but When the intake fell to 0.077 gin. 

 per kilogram the positive balance was not maintained, ami at 0.068 am per 

 kilogram became negative. A satisfactory positive nitrogen balance was not 

 obtained with the largest amount of almond meal used, 0.071 gm. per kilogram 

 of body weight. 



The average biological value for the gluten nitrogen was 70.5 and for the 

 almond meal nitrogen 94 The values of both protein foods varied considerably 

 in the two diets. Mils difference is thought to lie due partly to the variations 

 in the value of the basal diets iis a supplemental source of nitrogen rather than 

 due wholly to the changes in percentage absorbed on account of different pro- 

 portions of crude fiber in the basal ration. This is considered to emphasise 

 further the limitations pointed OUl by Hart and Humphrey ( E. S. It.. 40. p. oT.'i I 

 Of any Classification <>!' natural foods in reaped to the etlicieii.\ of their pro 

 teins based on experiments involving a single food material or a single food 

 mixture. 



The constancy of the protein quotient during intensive digestion and pro- 

 longed starvation, S. Hanson (Jour. Immunol, 3 (1918). Xo. 2, pp. 67-74 >. — 

 This work is a continuation of former experiments. Its object is to determine 

 the influence on the protein quotient of a disturbance of metabolism when such 

 a disturbance is produced by periods of digestion alternating with prolonged 

 periods of starvation. 



From results of experiments on rabbits, it was found that the protein quotient 

 remained normal during these periods. In the opinion of the author, it is 

 probable that a mechanism similar to that which maintains m constant and 

 normal percentage of glucose in the blood, even during in extended period of 

 fasting, may serve to adjust the constancy of the protein quotient 



