168 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. I Vol. 43 



article of food and what it contril)ntos to the end i\'siilt, and of determining the 

 cost of the menu at all stages of its construction. 



The general principle of the method is to represent the energy, protein, and 

 fat content of a definite amount of food by the lengths of three vertical paral- 

 lel lines starting from a common base line. A different scale is chosen for each 

 of the three parallel lines, so that the distance representing a given number 

 of calories and the amounts of protein and fat thought appropriate to this 

 energj' are equal in length, giving a horizontal line as the upper boundary of 

 the figure when the balance is perfect. The standard chosen is sufficient pro- 

 tein to supply 12.5 per cent and sufficient fat to supply about 25 per cent of 

 the total energy. In the figures given to represent the balance of a few typical 

 articles of food, 1 cm. on the energy line=100 calories, on the protein line=3.05 

 gm., and on the fat line 2.69 gm. Horizontal dotted lines measured in centi- 

 meters from the base line represent the cost in cents of the amount of material 

 representetl by the figures. To build up the day's menu, measurements of the 

 different foods selected are added to the proper lines, the final lengtlis of the 

 three lines indicating the balance of the ration. 



Two appendixes are included, one outlining a suggested method of present- 

 ing the subject as simply as possible to mess sergeants and the other giving 

 data on the quantities of nutritive constituents in the articles commonly used 

 in Army messes, the energy per pound of the food material, and the lengths 

 in centimeters of the lines used in representing graphically the energy, pro- 

 tein, and fat in a 0.1 lb. portion. 



Deficiency diseases in the army, L. Bruntz and L. Spillmann (Prog. M4d. 

 2 (1919), pp. 9-13). — This is a general discussion of deficiency diseases in the 

 French Army with particular reference to trench-foot. 



Summary of Bureau of Chemistry investigations of poisoning due to ripe 

 olives, G. G. De Bokd, R. B. Edmondson^ and C. Thom (Jovr. Amer. Med. 

 Assoc, 74 {1920), No. 18, pp. 1220, 1221).— This is a summary of the general 

 findings in the investigation by the Bureau of Chemistry, U. S. Department of 

 Agriculture, of ripe olive poisoning (E. S. R., 42, p. 761). 



In the investigation 2,161 commercial containers were examined, of which 

 560 were glass and 1,601 were tin. Cultures made from the first 500 containers 

 showed that satisfactory odor and appearance were uniformly accompanied by 

 sterility, while an offensive odor was noted on opening all the cans later proved 

 to be infected with Bacillus botuUnus. 



B. botulinus of type A (E. S. R., 42, p. 260) was isolated from the batches 

 of olives responsible for the outbreaks in Ohio and Michigan (E. S. R., 42, 

 pp. 261, 262), in New York (E. S. R., 42. p. 558), and in Tennessee, and was 

 also found in bits of dried pimento stuffing from the inside of an empty bottle 

 which had contained stuffed olives, apparently the cause of the death of five 

 per.sons in Kalispell, Mont. Olive relish, which recently caused the death of 

 one person in Richmond, Cal., was found to contain a toxin which indicated the 

 presence of B. bottiUnus. 



Many species of organisms other than B. botulinus, includihg members of 

 the colon group and nonsporulating aerobes, were found in the samples exam- 

 ined, indicating that the amount of heat applied in the commercial processes 

 employed was entirely inadequate for sterilization. The practice of shipping 

 olives and liolding them in water or weak brine is also thought to be undesirable 

 in that during this holding period a container infected with any particular 

 organism becomes contaminated throughout by the multiplication of the 

 organism. 



In conclusion, it is recommended that to prevent further outbreaks of botul- 

 ism more efficient sterilization should be employed, shipping or holding in 



} 



