462 EXPERIMENT STATION EECOED. 



Roman cooks, Cornelia G. Harcum {Dissertation, Johns HopJcins Univ., 

 1913, pp. 84). — Much interesting information is given regarding cooks and 

 cooking during the early history of Rome. A bibliography is appended. 



The food supply of the Germans during the war, edited by P. Eltzbacheb 

 (Die Deutsche Volkserndhrung und der Englische Aushungerungsplan. Bruns- 

 wick: F. Vieweg & Son, 1914, pp. VII-\-196; rev. in Lancet [London'], 1915, I, 

 No. 8, pp. 389-399). — This article presents statistical data regarding the total 

 available food supply and the actual food requirements of the German peo- 

 ple, and outlines various methods proposed for meeting these food require- 

 ments if the country should be isolated by blockade. Detailed descriptions 

 are given of the proposed increased utilization of agricultural products and 

 the necessary alteration in living conditions. 



Soup kitchens, M. Rubner (Hyg. Rundschau, 25 (1915), No. 9, pp. 309-315).— 

 Descriptions are given of the nutritive and energy values of some dietaries 

 commonly furnished poor people at small cost. 



Nutrition and growth, L. B. Mendel (Jour. Amer. Med. Assoc, 64 (1915), 

 No. 19. pp. 1539-1547, figs. 5). — Important data, including both those resulting 

 from the author's own experiments (E. S. R., 32, p. 460) and the results ob- 

 tained by other investigators, are brought together in this lecture, which 

 considers protein, carbohydrates, fats, lipoids, and accessory diet constituents 

 ("vitamins"), as factors influencing nutrition and growth. 



The "central-normal" nutrition of adults, G. Oeder (Berlin. Klin. 

 Wchnschr., 52 (1915), Nos. 17, pp. 433-438; 18, pp. 466-470) .—Physical measure- 

 ments of 132 men and 149 women are reported, which include that of the 

 "central-normal" body weight (the weight associated with "central-normal" 

 nutrition, a condition said to exist when the physical measurements conform 

 to an arithmetical mean). The author concludes that the condition of nutri- 

 tion is normal provided the measured body weight equals that indicated by 

 the average of a large number of standard values, the index of the thickness 

 of the abdominal fat layer lies between 2.48 and 2.69 cm., and the examination 

 reveals no abnormal features. 



The influence of drinking water on the digestibility of solid substances, 

 F. Grobbels (Hoppe-Scyler's Ztsclir. Physiol. Chem., 89 (1914), No. 1-2, pp. 1-21, 

 figs. 3; ahs. in Hyg. Rundschau, 25 (1915), No. 9, p. 329).— The following results 

 of experiments were noted : 



Pure water left the stomach more rapidly than did bread and water mixtures. 

 Bread eaten five minutes after drinking a moderate amount of water required 

 twice the time for leaving the stomach as did water alone. When water was 

 taken five minutes after eating bread, the time required for it to leave the 

 stomach was shorter than for bread eaten alone. A mixture of bread and water 

 remained in the stomach a longer time than did bread and water taken sepa- 

 rately. 



The influence of protein intake upon the formation of uric acid, A. E. 

 Taylor and W. C. Rose (Jour. Biol. Chem., 18 (1914), No. 3, pp. 519, 520; ahs. 

 in ZentU. Physiol, 29 (1914), No. 12, p. 575).— The ingestion of abnormally 

 large amounts of protein, following a preliminary period during which the 

 subject received a purin-free ration, produced a very considerable increase in 

 uric acid excretion. This may be explained by an unusual production of nuclear 

 material from the excess of amino acids, or by an exceptional cell activity. 



The creatinin excretion remained approximately constant. 



The metabolism of organic and inorganic compounds of phosphorus, E. B. 

 Forbes et al. (Ohio Sta. Tech. Bui. 6 (1914), pp. 80, pis. IS).— This bulletin 

 reports in detail the results of a series of feeding experiments with pigs, to 

 compare the nutritive value of representative phosphorus compounds, including 



