1920] FOODS — HUMAN NUTRITION. 65 



p. 2066). — The author has found that living yeast cells remained alive for more 

 than six hours in the digestive tract of dogs. After nine hours most of the cells 

 were dead and about half of them digested. The digestive value of the yeast 

 was correspondingly low, being about 53.3 per cent for the organic matter of 

 the yeast and 46.6 per cent for the yeast protein. 



The conclusion Is drawn that yeast to be of value as a food should not be 

 fed in the living state. 



Sanitary food regulations, E. Tognoli (La Vigilanza Igienica sullc Sos- 

 tanze Alhnentari. Milan: Ulrico HoepH, 1919, pp. XXIV -{-JflO). — This volume 

 contains the Italian rules and regulations in regard to the principal food ma- 

 terials and condiments, together with brief statements concerning the analytical 

 methods to be employed in determining whether these materials comply with 

 the specified standards and the intei*pretation of the analytical results. An • 

 appendix contains regulations concerning metals to be used as kitchen utensils, 

 etc., and a list of prohibited coloring matters, both organic and inorganic. 



The influence of alkaline and acid hydrolysis on the absorption and 

 utilization of iiroteins. — I, The utilization of hydrolyzed casein, J. MIiller 

 and H. Murschhauser [Biochein. Ztschr., 93 (1919), No. 1-2, pp. 34-1,3).— The 

 extent of utilization of hydrolyzed casein, particularly casein liydrolyzed by 

 alkali, was determined by feeding experiments conducted on dogs. The 

 material under examination was fed with a basal ration of meat and the 

 extent of absoi-ption of protein measured from the difference between the 

 nitrogen fed and that in the feces. 



The percentage utilization of the casein treated in different ways was as 

 follows: Unhydrolyzed 96.1 per cent, hydrolyzed with NaOH 59 and 59.3, 

 hydrolyzed with NaOH and administered with opium 56.4, hydrolyzed by a 

 commercial process 39, hydrolyzed with HCl 98.6, and protalbinic acid 29. 



These results are thought to have an important bearing on the consideration 

 of certain specially prepared proprietary foods and of hydrolyzed products as 

 feeding stuffs. 



Nitrogen partition in the urine of the races in Singapore, J. A. Campbell 

 (Biochem. Jour., 13 (1919), No. 3, pp. 239-247).— This study supplements the 

 data previously reported in the investigation of the metabolism of Asiatic 

 races in Singapore (E. S. R., 41, p. 67), by data on the nitrogen partition in the 

 urine and on the nonnitrogenous excretions of a Brahmin, a Chinese, a Tamil, 

 a Malay (all subjects in the previous investigation), and of a Hindoo, a 

 Eurasian, a Bengali, a Sikh, and a European. The European was a lecturer 

 and the others students in the Singapore Medical School. The diets of the 

 different subjects varied both quantitatively and qualitatively. The Brahmin 

 and Hindoo were vegetarians, the European lived on an ordinary mixed diet, 

 and the others on a mixed diet in which rice was the staple food., Urine 

 analyses were made on seven-day samples preserved with a 5 per cent solution 

 of thymol in chloroform. 



The data obtained indicate that while the absolute quantities of total urea 

 and uric acid nitrogen were much lower than the standard European figures, 

 the percentages did not differ materially from the standard. With the excep- 

 tion of the Chinese, the European, and the Eurasian, the total nitrogen pet 

 kilogram of body weight was lower than the European standard in all subjects. 

 The lowest figures were 0.11 gm. for the Brahmin and 0.127 for the Hindoo. 



The absolute quantity of purin niti-ogen was lower than the standard in 

 all subjects except the Sikh. There was a wide variation in the percentage 

 of purin nitrogen. The quantity of ereatinin nitrogen was lower than the 

 standard but the percentage was higher, which supports the theory that 



