1919] FOODS — HUMAN NUTRITION. G61 



Observations on the nutrition and growth of newborn infants, W. R. BAM 

 sey iind A. <;. Ai.iky (Amor. Jour. Diseases Children, 15 (1918), No. 6, pp. 408- 

 ',!.!). — The following observations were Made at the University of likuu Hota 

 hospital : 



Of 800 oewbom infants the average weights were for males :>>.:r.n gin. 

 (7.47 ll>s.) an*] females 3.27G gm. (7J22 lbs.). The average quotient was found 

 to vary in individual cases from 43 to 7. r > calories per kilogram of body weight, 

 for the first 10 days at least. In all cases where the infants received 100 calo- 

 ries per kilogram they were found to be overfed. The average Initial loss of 

 weight was found to be 240 gm. and the average time the loss continued was 3 

 days. The average daily gain in weight after the third day was about 20 gm. 

 per day. About one-fourth of the infants regained their birth weight before 

 leaving the hospital on the tenth day. 



These figures are compared with those generally regarded as authentic. 



Studies of infant feeding-. — X, The digestion and absorption of fats. — I, 

 Calcium in its relation to the absorption of fatty acids, A. W. BoswOKTH, 

 H. I. Bowditch, and I.. A. (Jim. in (Amer. Jour. Diseases Children, 16 (1918), 

 No. 6, pp. 397-1,07). — Investigations have led the authors to believe that many 

 of the troubles encountered with bottle-fed infants receiving cow's milk are 

 due to the ill effects produced by the calcium. They believe that notwith- 

 standing the high calcium content of cow's milk the calcium metabolism of 

 bottle-fed infants is seldom greater and often less than that found in breast-fed 

 infants, much of the calcium being eliminated as insoluble calcium soaps. They 

 refer to a method of reconstructing cow's milk which permits the removal of 

 much of the calcium, and advocate the use of this " decalcified " milk in place of 

 the usual simple dilutions. 



Is the amount of calcium usually given in dilutions of cow's milk inju- 

 rious to infants? L. E. Hoi.T, A. M. Cotutney, and H. L. Fales (Amer. Jour. 

 Disease* Children, 16 (1918), No. 1, pp. 52-56).— The authors find that of a 

 group of 32 bottle-fed children from 2 to 15 months of age, 29 had a fat reten- 

 tion of 89 per cent or more of the intake — 18 having over 90 and 10 over 95 per 

 cent — while only 2 retained less than 80 per cent. In their opinion, this seems 

 to indicate that there is no serious loss of fat wheu the usual simple dilutions 

 of cow's milk are fed. They conclude that unless the harm caused by a fairly 

 high calcium intake can be definitely demonstrated it would seem safer to 

 allow an excess of calcium in the intake rather than to run the risk of providing 

 less than is needed for the normal growth of the hones. 



Methods used in a class for undernourished children, C. H. Smith (Amcr. 

 Jour. Diseases Children, 15 (1918), No. 6, pp. 373-896, figs. 10). — This article 

 outlines the methods used in a nutrition class which was started November 1, 

 191G, in the outpatient department of the Bellevue Hospital, as an experiment 

 to determine how much could be done to improve the nutrition of under- 

 nourished children when handled in large numbers It was found that 57 per 

 cent of the children enrolled in this class gained ;it 1.7 times the average rate 

 for their ages, and 22 per cent at about the average rate. Of the remaining 

 21 per cent, the author claims there were one or more easily ascertained reasons 

 for failure in every case. 



The nursing mother as a factor of safety in the nutrition of the young, 

 E. V. McColixm and N. Simmosds (Amer. Jour. Physiol, 1,6 (1918), No. 3, pp. 

 275-301, pis. 3). — The authors call attention to the fact that the extent to which 

 the maternal organism, through the secretion of the mammary gland, can serve 

 as a factor of safety for the sucUling is still very little understood. They be- 

 lieve that the lactatiug mother, like the growing animal, is unable to effect 



