FOODS HUMAN NUTRITION. 69 



The influence of restricted rations on growth, E. B. Haet and E. V. McCol- 

 LUM (Jour. Biol. Chem., 11 (WW, No. 2, Proc, pp. XLIV, XLy).— Feeding 

 experiments with laboratory animals (nits and swine) have shown that a 

 ration limited to the wheat kernel and distilled water is insufDcient to main- 

 tain growth. Considerable growth was obtained when a salt mixture con- 

 sisting of potassium phosphate, potassium citrate, and calcium lactate was 

 added to the wheat ration, though after a time growth ceased and the animals 

 began to lose weight. These results seem to harmonize with the theory that 

 the wheat kernel contains a toxic substance the injurious character of which 

 is greatly diminished during the germinating process, and that failure to grow 

 is not due entirely to the incomplete nature of the wheat prolein. 



Constancy of the content of phosphorus lipoids in the total organism — 

 lipoid content during growth, A. Mayer and G. Schaeffer (Coinpt. Rend. 

 Acad. Sci. [Paris], 159 {1014), No. 1, pp. 102-105; ahs. in Chem. ZentU., 1914, 

 II, No. 17, p. 105S). — Exijerimeuts with a large number of warm- and cold- 

 blooded animals indicate that the lipoid phosphorus content for organism of 

 the same species is very constant, and that both lipoid phosphorus and choles- 

 terol vary but little during growth. 



Constancy of the content of fatty acids and cholesterol in the total or- 

 ganism. — Estimation of fatty reserves, E. F. Tebroine {Compt. Rend. Acad. 

 Sci. [Paris'], 159 (1914), No. 1, pp. 105-108; aU. in Chem. ZentU., 1914, II, No. 

 17, p. 1058). — ^Analytical data show that the fatty acid content of normal ani- 

 mals is variable while that of animals of the same species dead of starvation 

 is very constant. The difference between these two values is the fatty acid 

 reserve. The amount of cholesterol contained per kilogram of body weight 

 of starving animals is also constant. 



Fat intoxication, O. Weltmann (Wiener Klin. Wchnschr., 27 (1914), No. 27, 

 p. 971; ahs. in Zenthl. Physiol., 29 (1914), No. 1, p. 42). — Continued experi- 

 mental feeding of fats produced hemolysis and the presence of a lipoidlike 

 substance in the blood. As this did not occur with the incorporation of fatty 

 acids, such as from 1 to 2 gm. of oleic acid, it is concluded that the mechanical 

 digestion of fats in the intestinal tract produces hemolytically active end 

 products which under certain conditions, such as injury to the intestinal mem- 

 brane, may pass into the blood. 



Observations on creatin and creatinin, P. A. Shaffer (Jour. Biol. Chem., 

 18 (1914), No. 3, pp. 525-540). — From a large number of analyses of muscle, 

 the results of which are here reported, the author draws the general conclu- 

 sion that the creatinin of the urine is derived from the creatin of the muscles. 



The effect of salts and other ions upon oxidative processes in the body. — I, 

 Introductory statements, N. Zuntz (Ztschr. BalneoL, Klimat. u. Kurort Hyg., 

 6 (1912), No. 12, pp. 333-336). — The work of other investigators having shown 

 that the salt content of water very decidedly influences the oxidative processes 

 in the embryo cell qualitatively and quantitatively with respect to the respira- 

 tory quotient and the oxygen consumption, experiments were undertaken by the 

 author and his associates to determine whether a similar influence on cell life 

 of higher organisms could be brought about by concentration and mixing of 

 ions in the cell contents. 



The experimental data accumulated made it clear, according to the author, 

 that the Increased respiratory quotient observed is not due to the increased 

 work of digestion but to the direct metabolic effect of the circulating salts. 



Experimental studies of the effect of salts upon respiratory metabolism, 

 II, W. Mader (Ztschr. BalneoL, Klimat. u. Kurort Hyg., 6 (1913), No. 13, pp. 

 S63-375), — The problem studied was to determine whether or not certain 



