462 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. tVol. a:: 



heightened by direct sunlight. This juiiinal also developed Iwcalized edema of 

 the face. 



Attempts to cure with tryptophan and with caseinogen failed with the flrst 

 animal. The second animal was treated successively with tryptoplian, a 

 mixture of lysin, arginin, and histidin, and caseinogen, but while life was pro- 

 longed little improvement was noted until a normal diet was use<l. To this the 

 animal responded very quickly. The third animal was apparently cured very 

 promptly by the administration of from 5 to 10 gm. of caseinogen. 



The authors point out that as the exact amount of food consumed could not 

 be determined it is not possible to ascertain how far the pellagra-like symptons 

 and wasting were due to an inadequate supply of tryptophan, of lysin, or of 

 both, or possibly of some other unappreciated constituent of the protein. 



Beriberi and deficiency diseases, A. Scala {Ann. Iff. [Rome], 29 {1919), 

 Nos. Jf, pp. 215-230; 5, pp. 286-301). — The author presents a critical discussion 

 of the literature of deficiency diseases, from which he advances the hypothesis 

 that they originate in a deficient mineral nutrition either in the lack of certain 

 acids or bases or of complexes by means of which they are transported. 



In scurvy the inorganic substance which is lacking is thought to be the phos- 

 phates of the earth metals, which exist in food materials in combination with ^ 

 organic material in the form of complexes, easily decomposec? by heat and by ^ 

 desiccation. The destruction of these complexes tends to bring about a state of 

 acidosis and prevents the transportation of calcium phosphate, etc., to the bones. 



In beriberi the alkaline phosphates are unable to reach the central nervous 

 system through the destruction of the organic complexes containing them and 

 the development of a form of acidosis. The fact that various mineral substances 

 when added to a beriberi-producing diet fail to bring about appreciable benefit 

 is explained on the ground of inability to reproduce the exact complexes found 

 in the original food material. 



Dietetic experiments with frogs, A. Harden and S. S. Zilva {Biocliem. 

 Jour., 14 {1920), No. 2, pp. 263-266). — The results of a series of experiments in 

 which mature frogs were fed synthetic rations deficient in one or more of the 

 three known accessory food factors indicate that water-soluble B is necessary i 

 for the continued existence of adult frogs, while the effect of absence of fat- 

 soluble A is not shown definitely for six months, and absence of the anti- 

 scorbutic vitamin appai-ently produces no definite effect. 



Experiments with tadpoles similar to those reported by Emmett and Allen 

 (E. S. R., 41, p. 468) are also noted, but as the results obtained were not 

 considered entirely satisfactory they are not described in detail. 



Artificial infant feeding, M. Ostheimee (Amer. Jour. Diseases Children, 19 ■ 

 (1920), No. 5, pp. 386, 387). — This is an outline of the customary practice in 

 infant feeding in the children's dispensary of the University of Pennsylvania 

 hospital. The principle employed is a rapid increase in the quantity and : 

 quality of the cow's milk mixtures until whole milk is reached between 8 and 

 12 months of age, and the use of semisolid food as soon as the infant has 

 four or more opposing teeth. 



It is pointed out that this diet is in marked contrast to the simple old- 

 fashioned diet still advocated by Morse (E. S. R., 42, p. 555). 



A note on the effect of purgation on the creatinin content of urine, D. 

 Burns {Biochcin. Jour., IJ, {1920), No. 2, pp. 9^-97). — The author refers to the 

 work of Anderson and Bosworth (E. S. R., 36, p. 365) indicating that the 

 administration of inositol to man results in diarrhea and an increased ex- 

 cretion of creatinin, and reports similar results obtained by Burns and Orr 



