764 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



"The administration of quite small amounts of carbohydrate to the starv- 

 ing organism brings about a great reduction in the acidosis. The administra- 

 tion of protein to the fasting organism causes a similar decrease, but this is 

 neither so marked nor so rapid as in the case of carbohydrate. The adminis- 

 tration of glycerol under similar conditions also causes a very definite reduc- 

 tion in the acidosis. The administration of fat to the starving organism in- 

 creases the acidosis. Administration of alcohol is without effect on the degree 

 of acidosis. 



" The amount of acetone bodies in tlie urine during the first few days of 

 starvation depends on the initial carbohydrate storage. These substances 

 appear in abnormal amounts immediately the ratio of the fat to the carbo- 

 liydrate burnt becomes greater than about 2 : 1. Immediately the ratio becomes 

 less than this the acetone output is reduced to normal. 



" While a relatively large amount of carbohydrate is required to prevent 

 acidosis, quite a small amount suffices to check it very markedly. 



"When acetone bodies are excreted in excessive amounts they are for the 

 most part derived from fat. Some evidence is put forward in favor of the 

 possibility of fat being converted into carbohydrate in the body." 



Pellagra: Causation and a method of prevention, J, Goldberger (Jour. 

 Amer. ifed. Aksoc, GG (1916), No. 7, jip. .}77-.'/7(j). — In this article are sum- 

 marized some of tlie recent studies of the United States Public Health Service. 

 The bulk of the material has Iteen ncjted from other sources (E. S. R., 34, 

 pp. 258, 259). 



Sanitation and the control of pellagra, C. T. Nesbitt (Jour. Amer. Med. 

 Assoc, GG (1916), No. 9, pp. 647, 648). — It is noted, from the exi^rlence of the 

 author during the past live years, that pellagra Is not decreased by improving 

 sanitation and general disease prevention methods. From a comparison of 

 death rates and a discussion of Improved sanitary conditions the author con- 

 cludes that " there is no existing relation between soil pollution and the inci- 

 dence of pellagra. 



"Close supervision of all cases, disinfection, fumigation, isolation, and the 

 other usual means of controlling Infection have no influence on pellagra In- 

 cidence. Business depression, lack of employment, a limited market for prod- 

 ucts, and increased price of food, with consequent increase of indigence, in- 

 crease the incidence of pellagra very definitely." 



[Report of the] nutrition laboratory. F. G. Benedict (Carnegie Iti^t. Wash- 

 ington Year Book, 14 (1915), pp. 295-310). — This report summarizes tlie work 

 of the laboratory during 1915. The investigations in progress are reviewe<l 

 briefly, and changes and additions to the equipment are noted. Brief ab- 

 stracts are also given of the pul>llcations of the laboratory issued during the 

 vear. 



ANIMAL PRODUCTION. 



The numerical results of diverse systems of breeding H. S. Jennings 

 (Geiwties, 1 (1916), No. 1, pp. 53-S9, figs. S; ahs. in Pror. Nat. Aead. Sei., 2 

 (1916), No. 1, pp. 45-50). — The author has found that "when bretxllng by a 

 given system is continued for many generations several types of results may 

 be distinguished. 



" In some cases the proportions of the population having particular con- 

 stitutions remain the same for all generations. ... In some complex cases 

 the population changes from generation, and the best we can do is to obtain 

 a formula which shall, when we know the proportions in a given generation n, 

 give us the proportions in the next following generation n+1. ... In many 

 cases the constitution of the population changes from generation to generation 



