FOODS — HUMAN NUTRITION. 165 



In tbe case of a single administration of benzoic acid or sodinm henzoato, 

 vomiting was caused. In the case of daily administration of benzoic acid or its 

 sodium salt, a typical poisoning was produced, the symptoms resembling buman 

 epilepsy. If the dose was continued death resulted through paralysis of the 

 central nervous system. It was found that the smallest dose of sodium ben- 

 Koate which produced toxic effects was 1 gm. per kilogram of body weight. 

 Experiments carried out to determine the effect of glycocoll as an antidote for 

 benzoic acid poisoning showeil that this substance caused the benzoic acid to be 

 excreted in the urine as hippuric acid. 



An extensive bibliography is appended. 



The contribution of bacteria to the feces after feeding diets free from 

 indigestible components, T. B. Osbokne and L. B. Mb:ndel {Jour. Biol. Chcm., 

 18 (1914), No. 2, pp. 111-182). — The experiments reported, in which rats were 

 fed upon diets composed entirely of digestible foods which yielded no cellulose 

 residue, permitted the authors to determine the quantity of bacterial cells in the 

 dried feces by successively treating them with ether, absolute alcohol, SO per 

 cent alcohol. 0.2 per cent hydrochloric acid solution, and finally with absolute alco- 

 hol containing 0.2 per cent hydrochloric acid to remove any fats, protein, or min- 

 eral matter. The remaining- residue was finally analyzed for nitrogen and ash. 



From the microscopic appearance and staining qualities of this residue and 

 from its chemical composition, the authors feel justified in regarding it as 

 consisting of masses of bacterial cells rather than undigested food residue. 



Urea: Its distribution in and elimination from the body, E. K. Marshall, 

 Jr., and D. M. Davis {Jour. Biol. Chcm., 18 (191/,), No. 1, pp. 53-80).— The 

 ••esults are reported of a lai'ge number of experiments from which the following 

 are among the conclusions drawn : 



" Urea is present in all the organs and tissues of normal animals. 



" The urea content of all organs and tissues is approximately uniform, and 

 approximately equal to that of the blood, both in normal conditions and when 

 there is an abnormally large amount of urea present. Exceptions to this rule 

 are fat, which has a low content, and the urinaiy tract, which has a high 

 content. 



" When urea in solution is injected intravenously, it diffuses to all parts of 

 the body almost instantly, the diffusion being complete in a few minutes. 



" Urea is eliminated very rapidly by the kidneys ; the rate of excretion may 

 rise to 16 gm. per kilogram of body weight per day, or much higher. 



" When excretion of urea is prevented, the entire amount formed is stored 

 in the body — except small amounts secreted in the bile, sweat, etc. — and there 

 is no evidence of the conversion of urea into other substances." 



The suppression of growth and the capacity to grow, T. B. Osborne and 

 L. B. Mendel {Jour. Biol. Chcm., 18 {191J,), No. 1, pp. 95-106).— A. digest of 

 experimental data which, in the opinion of the authors, does not support the 

 ^ iew that the ability to grow " is lost with age, independently of whether it 

 has or has not functioned during the period usually associated with increase in 

 size. ... It api>ears as if the capacity to grow is only lost by the exercise of 

 this fundamental property of animal organisms." 



The basal, gaseous metabolism of normal men and women, F. G. Benedict, 

 L. E. Emmes. p. Roth, and II. M. Smith {Jour. Biol Chew., 18 {191Ji), No. 2, 

 pp. 139-155). — The authors report the results of a series of observations made 

 upon normal men and women at rest. Some of the experiments were carried 

 out with the bed calorimeter and some with an especially designed respiration 

 apparatus. Among the observations rei)orted were the amount of carbon dioxid 

 produced, the oxygen consumption, the value of the respiratory quotient, the 

 body temperature, and the pulse rate. 



