64 EXPEBIMENT STATIO^ST EECOED. 



acid was attributed to the excessive decomposition of protein which yielded 

 additional material available for synthesis. 



No evidence was found in these experiments of the conversion of native 

 leucin into glycocoll. It appears likely that much of the glycocoll liberated 

 upon feeding benzoic acid is the result of a sjmthetic process in the body. 



The influence of the composition and amount of the mineral content of 

 the ration on growth, E. V. McCollum and MABcrrEEiTE Davis {Jour. Biol. 

 Chew,., IJf {1913), No. 2, Proc. p. XL). — According to the authors' summary of 

 data presented at the seventh annual meeting of the American Society of 

 Biological Chemists, young rats fed upon the wheat kernel, either alone or 

 with the addition of wheat gluten, and distilled water did not grow, but if this 

 ration were given a mineral content similar to that of milk powder normal 

 growth was induced during 70 days. 



Rats which grew normally during 75 to 100 days on rations consisting of 

 casein, dextrin, and agar-agar, with a mineral content similar to that of milk 

 or eggs, failed to grow if these rations had a mineral content similar to that 

 of the wheat kernel. The addition of calcium or the subtraction of magnesium 

 induced growth in some degree. 



Much experimental evidence indicates that an important relation exists 

 between the mineral elements and the protein content of the diet. 



[Calcium and magnesium in Asiatic foodstuffs], E. Abdebhalden and R. 

 Hanslian {Hoppe-Seyler's Ztschr. Phy.Hol. Chem., 80 {1912), No. 2, pp. 

 113-120; abs. in Jour. Chem. 8oc. ]_London^, 102 {1912), No. 600, II, 962).— As 

 bladder stones are very common in Asia Minor, the hard water and high inor- 

 ganic content of the principal grain (Burghul) eaten in this region are con- 

 sidered to be important in the etiology of the complaint. 



On the question of food-poisoning bacteria, G. Mayee {Jour. State Med., 21 

 (1913), No. 2, pp. 9S-102). — This article gives the results of a bacteriological 

 study of an epidemic of food poisoning caused by eating fish which was infected 

 with Bacillus proteus vulgaris, and a discussion of bacterial food pwsoning and 

 its 4-elation to paratyphoid infection. 



ANIMAL PEODTJCTION. 



A contribution to the theory of growth, W. E. Kellicott {Verhandl. In- 

 temat. Zool. Kong. Graz, 8 {1910), pp. 597-601) .—It is stilted that the growth 

 of the organism as a whole, when measured by the increase of total length or 

 weight, gives little real indication of the true phenomena of growth among the 

 higher organisms, as this is a close net resultant of variously growing separate 

 parts. For example, in vertebrates the muscles and connective tissues may be 

 approximately 75 per cent of the total weight of the organism. It is, therefore, 

 chiefly the rate of growth of these tissues that gives character to the rate of 

 growth of the whole organism, and yet these parts may be of less importance to 

 the organism than other parts such as the brain or heart. In cases of under- 

 feeding, all of the tissues of the organi-sm are not similarly affected. In many 

 cases certain parts or tissues, as the mammary glands, grow independently of 

 the rest of the organism and their gi'owth is regulated or caused by specific 

 secretions, or hormones. 



" It seems quite likely, therefore, that in organisms in general the normal 

 growth of each tissue or even each organ is controlled separately by a specific 

 internal secretion. These substances may regulate growth either through inhi- 

 bition or acceleration and the Effect produced may be due either to the presence 

 or the withdrawal of the specific substance." 



