FOODS — HUMAN NUTRITIOX. 563 



"These animals excrete during a fast ratlier more nitrogen and rather more 

 purin derivatives, in relation at any rate to body weight, than do normal 

 animals; are liable, although by no means certain, to succumb very early to the 

 effects of inanition; may fail to exhibit such signs of hunger acidosis as a high 

 output of ammonia, and the elimination of aceto-acetic acid ; excrete while 

 fasting urine which is generally alkaline and never acid; invariably react to 

 the withdrawal of food by the excretion of creatin in excess of creatinin ; 

 exhibit in the relations of the purin catabolites no evidence of diminished 

 oxidative power; and have a degree of sugar tolerance which is almost certainly 

 above the normal." 



The intestinal absorption of fats, K. Nakashima {Pfliiger's Arch. Physiol., 

 158 (1914). Xo. 6-S, pp. 288-306).— The mechanism of fat digestion was studied 

 in a series of normal feeding and injection experiments carried out with labora- 

 tory animals (mice). An examination of the blood after the injection of milk 

 fat into the rectum and large intestine failed to indicate any absorption of the 

 fat by the blood. Milk fat fed normally per mouth, however, appeared in the 

 blood. 



Absorption of fat in the peritoneum, K. Nakashima (Pfluger's Arch. 

 Physiol, 158 {1914), Ko. 6-8, pp. S07-342).—In extending the work noted above, 

 experiments were can-led out in which milk fat was iujecteil into the peri- 

 toneum. From subsequent examinations o^ the blood the following conclusions 

 were drawn : 



The fat is taken in corpuscular form from the peritoneum into the blood 

 stream, the resorption taking place both in the case of cold- and warm-blooded 

 animals. Casein is absorbed still more easily than the fat, but both appear in 

 the blood within 20 minutes after ingestion and traces of the fat remain for 

 24 hours. Lecithin is absorbed slowly. Resorption of fat from the peritoneum 

 takes place through the lymphatics. 



The relation between energy metabolism and protein metabolism under 

 fasting- conditions, P. HAri {Biochem. Ztschr., 66 (1914), A'o. 1-3, pp. 1-19). — 

 The results of a large number of experiments with fasting dogs are reported 

 in which the heat production was measured both directly and indirectly. From 

 these results the author draws the following conclusions: 



The energy metabolism computed per square meter of body surface at dif- 

 ferent temperatures varies during the first eight days of the fasting period, 

 between 700 and 1,000 kilogram-calories. This value is independent of the 

 body weight, but varies directly with the amount of body protein. The increase 

 of energy production depends not only upon increased protein consumption but 

 also upon a greater combination of fat, which could be designated as the 

 specific dynamic action of the body protein. The suggestion is offered that 

 possibly the decomposition products of body protein in some way accelerate 

 the combustion of the fat. 



The total energy requirement in disease as determined by calorimetric 

 observations, E. F. Du Bois (Jour. Amer. Med. .issoc, 63 {1914), No. 10, pp. 

 827-830, figs. 5). — Results which are of general interest are here x-eported of 

 a series of experiments carried out to determine the influence of a number of 

 diseases upon metabolism. For this purpose a respiration calorimeter of the 

 Atwater-Rosa type, and equipped with a bed, was used. The fact is emphasized 

 " that the nutrition of a patient depends absolutely on the relationship between 

 his energy production and his food supply. If the organism fails to obtain food 

 from without, it will draw on its own glycogen stores, fat depots, and supplies 

 of body protein." 



A contribution to the study of experimental beri-beri, R. McCarrison 

 {Indian Jour. Med. Research, 2 {1914), No. 1, pp. 369-374, pl- l).—ln a labora- 



