1919] FOODS — HUMAN NUTRITI015". 169 



Moisture in wheat and mill products, J,. H. Shollenbergek {U. S. Dept. Agr. 

 Bui. 788 (1919), pp. 12, figs. 2). — The moisture requirements of wheats for 

 milling purposes, the amount of moisture added during tempering, the moisture 

 content of wheat aud various streams of mill stock, and the loss of moisture 

 during grinding, as well as related subjects, were taken into account in this 

 experimental study. The results are summarized as follows: 



" The decrease in the moisture content of the various roll streams from the 

 head to the tail of the milling process was closely related to the amount of 

 water added to the wheat during tempering. 



" It appeared that very little of the moisture added to the wheat during tem- 

 pering penetrated farther than the pericarp or outer coatings of the kernel. The 

 moisture content of the better grades of flour milled, irrespective of the amount 

 of water added during tempering, closely corresponded to the percentage of 

 moisture contained in the untempered wheat. The amount of water added in 

 tempering compensated for the evaporation of moisture during milling only in 

 the case of one of three mills examined." 



Influence of electrolytes upon the viscosity of dough., L. J. Henderson, 

 W. O. Fenn, and E. J. Cohn {Jour. Gen. Physiol., 1 {1919}, No. 4, pp. 387-397, 

 figs. 5). — The effect of H-ion concentration and of salts upon the viscosity of 

 dough was determined by measuring the resistance of a definite amount of 

 dough to stirring when packed in a torsion viscosimeter. It was found that with 

 variation in H-ion concentration viscosity passes through a minimum a little 

 on the acid side of pH 5. The addition of a small amount of salt to dough 

 diminished viscosity, while as the concentration of the salt increased there 

 was commonly a later rise in viscosity. Of the salts studied, the sulphates 

 of sodium and magnesium had the most marked effect. The influence of salts 

 upon viscosity was found to vary with the H-ion concentration. At a more 

 acid range of reaction sodium chlorid depressed the viscosity greatly, while 

 calcium chlorid lowered tlie A'iscosity in a less acid range. 



The results are thought to indicate that in bread making the action of acids, 

 bases, and salts, perhaps with the exception of potassium bromate, is favorable 

 chiefly througli the effect upon viscosity,' and that any influence upon the 

 activity of yeast is apparently a matter of secondary importance. 



Compressed yeast as food for the growing organism, P. B. Hawk, H. R. 

 FisHBACK, and O. Bergeim (Amer. Jour. Physiol., JfS {1919), No. 2, pp. 211-220, 

 figs. 2).- — Feeding experiments with rats to determine the growth-promoting 

 poi-perties of baker's yeast (Fleischmann) are reported. 



The addition of the compressed yeast to the extent of 5 per cent of the dried 

 yeast by weight of the total diet caused an immediate and pronounced increase 

 in body weight. This increase was found to be more rapid and pronounced 

 when the diet contained casein than when the protein of the diet was furnished 

 by lean meat. Heating to 105° C. did not destroy the growth-promoting prop- 

 erties of the yeast. 



Cheese poisoning: A toxicogenic bacillus isolated from cheese, W. Levin 

 (Jour. Lab. and Clin. Med., 2 {1917), No. 11, pp. 761-784).— The morphological 

 and cultural characteristics, pathogenicity, and toxin formation are described of 

 an organism known to have produced several cases of cheese poisoning. The 

 organism, while belonging to the colon group as proved by its morphological 

 and biochemical reactions and agglutination tests, differed from the true colon 

 bacilli in its ability to form a soluble thermostabile poison or toxin of unknown 

 chemical composition. 



Toxin formation by a variety of E. botulinus when cultivated aerobically 

 under various conditions: Its possible production in the animal body. L. P. 

 Shippen {Arch. Int, Med,, 23 {1919), No. 3, pp. 346-361).— A study conducted at 



