754 EXPERIMENT STATION EECOED. 



On the cholesterol content of the tissues of growing rats when under 

 various diets, P. E. Lander {Biochem. Jour., 9 {1915), No. 1, pp. 78-96, figs. 

 XI), — Feeding experiments with laboratory animals (rats) are described, which 

 were conducted to determine the normal cbolesterol content of the tissues of 

 growing rats, and to obtain information as to whether the growing organism 

 can manufacture cholesterol when deprived of that substance in the food. The 

 normal standard quantity of cholesterol contained in the bodies of rats which 

 were just beginning to feed themselves M^as 0.1467 per cent. From the results 

 obtained the following general conclusions are drawn : 



"A pure synthetic dietary is insufficient to enable ' growth processes ' to go 

 on in young rats, in other words the rats are starved on such a diet and neither 

 cholesterol, cholesterol esters, nor lecithin appears to supply the deficiency. 

 [A commercial meat extract which was tested], however, appears to have a 

 beneficial effect in some cases, rats fed on a diet with this addition showing no 

 eagerness to nibble their dead comrades. 



" There is no evidence that the living organism can manufacture cholesterol, 

 but on the other hand it is a substance which is strictly conserved and readily 

 picked out from a diet in which it is present in only small quantities. When, 

 however, it is present in large quantities in the food then the percentage in the 

 body goes up considerably, but only a small quantity of that ingested is 

 actually stored up." 



Contributions to the physiology of the stomach. — XIX, Reflexes from the 

 intestinal mucosa to the stomach, E. H. Brunemeier and A. J. C^vrlson 

 (Amer. Jour. Physiol., 36 {1915), No. 2, pp. 191-195, figs. 2). — Experiments with 

 dogs having intestinal and gastric fistulae are described, from which the fol- 

 lowing conclusions are drawn: 



" Gastric juice, chyme, acids, alkalis, water, milk, and oil introduced into 

 the small intestine inhibit gastric hunger contractions and gastric tonus for 

 varying periods. This inhibition of these gastric hunger contractions and tonus 

 is due partly to mechanical, partly to chemical stimulations of the intestinal 

 mucosa. The chemical stimulation produces the greatest effect. 



Animal calorimetry. — VII, The metabolism of a dwarf, F. H. McCrtjddeb 

 and G. Lusk {Jour. Biol. Chem., 13 {1913), No. 4, pp. 447-454)-— The results 

 are reported of a metabolism experiment made with a dwarf 17 years old suffer- 

 ing from infantilism : 



" The basal metabolism was increased 6.6 per cent as a result of the ingestion 

 of food, and this again was increased by 14.7 per cent when the boy was reading 

 illustrated periodicals in bed. The protein metabolism yielded the normal pro- 

 portion of 15 per cent of the total calories of heat production. Nothing abnor- 

 mal could be detected in the metabolic processes of the individual, as determined 

 from these calorimetric observations." 



Earlier experiments have been noted (E. S. R., 28, pp. 865-868). 



Animal calorimetry. — VIII, The alleged influence of the adrenals on 

 diabetic metabolism, G. Lusk and J. A. Riche {Arch. Int. Med., 13 {1914), 

 No. 5, pp. 573-681, fig. 1). — Experiments with laboratory animals (dogs) are 

 reported in which the total metabolism and the respiratory quotient were deter- 

 mined during the period of absorption of 50 gm. of glucose from the alimentary 

 tract and also between 18 to 21 hours after this was administered. 



Administration of epinephrine during these periods did not interfere with 

 the metabolism of carbohydrates, and during the period of its administration 

 the fraction of the total heat output furnished by carbohydrates was increased. 

 From these experiments the conclusion is drawn that " the theory that epine- 

 phrine causes a production of sugar from fat, decreases the power of the 

 organism to oxidize glucose thx'ough inhibition of pancreatic function, and 



