368 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. [Vol. 43 



Tables are given of the composition of tlie two yeasts and of the coeflkieiits 

 of digestibility of the different constituents. Tlie data reported indicate that 

 the brewery yeast contains slightly more digestible mattter than the so-callt>(l 

 mineral yeast. Earlier experiments on the same subject have been pi'eviously 

 noted (E. S. R., 35, p. 266). 



AVliat should be the basis of the control of dehydrated foods? S. C. Pres- 

 COTT {A»)<T. Jour. rub. Health, JO {1920), No. 4. ;>;>. 32Jf-326)*— This is a brief 

 discussion of the standards adopted by the "War Department for the manufacture 

 and control of dehydrated foods. 



[Miscellaneous food and drug toincs] {North Dakota Sta. Spec. Bid., 5 

 {1920), No. 16, pp. Jtl5-522). — This number consists principally of a report by 

 R. O. Baird of a sanitary survey of a number of North Dakotti cities. Analyses 

 by M. Jongenard, J. Moyer, and AV. G. Bowers of several proprietary prepara- 

 tions and a modified method for determining vanillin by AV. G. Bowers and J. 

 Moyer noted on i)age 314 of this issue are also included. 



Fargo and its grocery stores, E. F. Ladd and F. C. Himber {North Dakota 

 Sta. Spec. Bui., 5 {1920), No. 18, pp. 535-550).— An economic study of the 50 

 grocery stores which supply Fargo's 25,000 population. The average operating 

 expense was found to range from 9 to 52.2S per cent of the gross receipts 

 averaging 16.72 per cent. The opinion is expressed that the number of stores is 

 altogether too large for the population. 



Brief notes regarding a patent medicine and the use of saccharin in the 

 State are appended. 



The diazo reaction of normal human urine and the dependence of the 

 diazo value on the mode of nutrition, O. Furth {BiocJiem. Ztschr., 96 {1919), 

 No. 4-6, pp. 269-296). — The diazo reaction of urine (the red coloration with 

 diaziobenzene sulphonic acid and sodium carbonate) is shown to be due to the 

 formation of a urochromogen, resembling in its properties, but not identical 

 with, histidin. The relative amount of the chromogen can be determined by 

 comparison with the amount of histidin furnishing the same color reaction. 



The so-called diazo value (reckoned as histidin monochlorid) of normal 

 human urine was found to vary from 0.03 to 0.07 gm. in 100 cc. of the urine or 

 from 0.3 to 0.6 gm. in a day's urine. Similar values were obtained in the 

 urine of tuberculosis patients in a good state of nutrition as well as in the 

 urine of noncachectic malaria cases. In cases of undernutrition with low 

 protein, the lowered nitrogen balance was accompanied by a lowering of the 

 absolute diazo value, but an increase in the relative value in some cases. A 

 similar increase in the relative value or diazo quotient was observed in strongly 

 cachectic individuals. This is thought to be an indication of the endogenous 

 origin of the imidazol complex of the diazo chromogen. 



The metabolism of a dwarf, F. B. Talbot {Jour. Amcr. Mrd. As.^oo., 7^ 

 {1920), No. 18, p. 1225). — The author reports a study of the metabolism of a 

 7-year old boy who weighed about 27 lbs. as against the normal for that age 

 of a little over 48 lbs. and whose height was 36 in. as against the normal 

 of 45 in. 



The basal metabolism showed a total 24-hour metabolism of 780 calories 

 as compared with an average of 900 calories for normal boys of the same age 

 and 675 calories for normal boys of the same weight. Per unit of body surface, 

 his metabolism was 12, per cent higher than normal boys of the same age and 

 11 per cent higher than normal boys of the same weight. With exercise the 

 metabolism increased to a very marked extent, indicating possibly excessive 

 activity of some gland of internal secretion for which no clinical sign was 

 found. 



