64 EXPEEIMENT STATION EECOKD. [Vol.35 



hares as a supply of meat in districts where pellagra is prevalent and where 

 a supply of beef, mutton, etc., is not available. 



The content of some digestive ferments in the feces, H. A. Kubschakow 

 {Internal. Beitr. Path. u. Ther. Erniihrungsstor. Stoffiv. u. Verdauungskrank., 

 5 {1915}, No. 4, PI). 511-527). — Clinical observations and analytical data are 

 reported concerning the occurrence of digestive ferments in the feces under 

 both normal and abnormal conditions. A bibliography is appended. 



Sense impression and appetite, W. Sternberg {Internat. Beitr. Path. u. 

 Ther. Erndhnuigsstor. Stoffw. ii. Yerdauungslcrank., 5 {1915), No. 4, pp. 421- 

 433). — In this article are discussed the factors which influence appetite. The 

 fuel value of the diet and the nutritive value of the food are not deemed 

 the only considerations in planning the dietary. The author is of the opinion 

 that appetite is nut a function of the stomach or the digestive glands, but that 

 it is influenced principally by the senses of sight, taste, smell, and touch — that 

 attractiveness for the senses stimulates appetite. 



The calorimeter as the interpreter of the life processes. A study of the 

 fuel requirements of the human individual, G. Lusk {Sci. Amrr. Sup., 81 

 {1916), No. 2091, p. 111). — In this treatise the author summarizes a great deal 

 of experimental data, most of which has been noted from the original sources. 



ANIMAL PRODUCTION. 



Units of reference for basal metabolism and their interrelations, C R. 

 MouLTON {Jour. Biol. Chcm., 24 {1916), No. 3, pp. 299-320, figs. 21).— This is a 

 further discussion of work previously reported (E. S. R., 33, p. 569). 



"A simple relation has been shown to exist between the total body nitrogen 

 and the fat-free empty weight of beef cattle. A simple relation exists also 

 between blood weight and fat-free empty weight or between blood weight 

 and total body nitrogen. The surface area of beef cattle is a power function 



of the warm empty weight, the formula for fat animals being yl =0.134 W' 



and for other animals .4=0.1186 IT . The surface area is also a power func- 

 tion of the fat-free empty weight. The formula for all animals is A=0.1034 



a 



TTj . The surface area is a power function of the total body nitrogen, the 



3 



formula being S=N^, The body surface and total blood are related in a simi- 



I 

 lar manner, the formula being S=0.8 B . 



" Since these relations have been shown to be fairly constant for animals 

 under different conditions it would seem to make little or no difference what 

 unit of reference is used as a measure of basal metabolism as long as the 

 unit used has been actually measured. It would seem also that for beef 

 cattle the desired unit of reference could be calculated with considerable ac- 

 curacy if the fatness of the animal and its condition with regard to fill can 

 be determined. In many cases, however, the amount of fill in the beef animal 

 can be disregarded. The author has shown average variations in fill of from 

 2 to 4 per cent of the live weight for mature animals." 



The energy consumption increases with the body weight, but not propor- 

 tionally, and there are large variations. The variations in the heat consump- 

 tion per kilogram of body weight are great, a 500-kg. steer consuming from 25 

 to 35 calories per kilogram. There is a marked tendency for the consumption 

 of energy per kilogram to decrease with increasing weight. The variations 

 from the average are 23.5 per cent. A tendency is also shown for the heat 

 consumption per unit of surface area to increase as the body weight increases. 

 This has been found to be due to the greater weight sustained by the animal 



