662 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. [Vol 40 



chemical transformations of one food complex into another, and that she can 

 utilize food proteins for milk production only to the extent that they yield 

 amino adds in proportion suitable for rearrangement into milk protein. The 

 results of experimental studies led them to the conclusion that the nursing 

 mother " is a very important factor of safety for her young in that her mammary 

 tissues can remove from the blood all elements necessary for the production of 

 milk, approximating more nearly the normal in quality than was the food from 

 which it was produced. She can pass these on into the milk in decidedly more 

 favorable relationships than they exist in her food. This the mammary gland 

 can do when nourished by blood which contains certain inorganic elements in 

 such relationships as render the circulatory fluids of the body a pabulum from 

 which the tissues of the young can not secure satisfactory supplies to permit 

 the cells to grow, even though the organic portion of the diet is satisfactory." 



Beri-beri at United States Army base hospital. San Juan. Porto Eico. J. D. 

 Riddell, C. H. Smith, and P. G. Lqabavidez [lour. Amer. Med. Amoc., 72 

 (1919), A'o. 8, pp. 569, 070). — Laboratory investigations and clinical manifesta- 

 tions of Go cases of beri-beri art- reported which are said to be the first t>> be 

 diagnosed as such in the island of Porto Rico. 



A report of the diet of the regiment from which the majority of ame 



showed that polished rice was a staple article of food, being served 00 an aver- 

 age of two meals a day. While the rations were well balanced, there v. 

 deficiency in fresh vegetables, potatoes and beans being the only ones served 

 in large quantities. Canned meats and canned vegetables were extensively 

 used. The beri-beri patients had consumed all the rice of the daily ration but 

 had eaten sparingly, if at all. of the meat. All patients began to Improve M 

 placed on a high protein diet. 



ANIMAL PRODUCTION. 



Variation, correlation, and inheritance of fertility in the mammals, J. A. 

 Habms (ilmer. Nat., 5<> (1916), No. 598, pp. 626 636).— The data on fertility in 

 mammals (except man) as found in the literature are submitted by the author 

 to a statistical analysis, correlation coefficients being computed where the avail- 

 able material permits. The subjects considered are the relationship between 

 order of birth and litter size, weight of dam and litter size, average weight of 

 young and litter size, and correlations between mothers and daughters with 

 respect to fertility. 



The fixation of mammalian chromosomes, R. T Bance (. \nut. Rc<\, 12 

 (1917). Xu. 3, pp. 871-387, figs. 20). — Improved methods of cytological technique 

 show that the chromosome count in the pig is over 40, whereas the previously 

 reported number is IS. The accepted counts in other mammals are deemed 

 probably too low, due to the clumping effect of delays in fixation and other 

 faulty cytological methods. Variations in chromosome counts published by 

 different observers for the same species can, it Is thought, also be explained on 

 these grounds. The above results are by-products of an elaborate investigation 

 reported by the author on methods of fixation of mammalian tissue. 



Observations on the influence of isolated ovaries on the body growth of 

 the albino rat (Mus norvegicus albinus). .1. M. Stotsenbubg i Inat. Rec, /.' 

 (1917), No. 2, pp. 259-26S, figs. 2). — Previous work of the author and his asso- 

 ciates at the Wistar Institute has shown that removal of both ovaries from a 

 young rat was followed by an acceleration of growth as measured by body 

 weight. The present paper shows that ovaries Isolated from the uterus by an 

 operation, but left in place, ha\e the same control over growth as normal 

 ovaries. 



