1919] FOODS — HUMAN NUTRITION. 855 



Physiol., J/!) {,19 lU), No. J{, pp. 557-566). — Determinations are reported of the 

 variations in stretisth and weight ol" approximately 40 men from eacli of 8 

 companies of recruits during 3 successive weelvs. The food consumption during 

 the same period was also determined. Most of the companies had been in 

 camp only a few days and during the first 2 weeks of study were inoculated 

 and vaccinated. The men of 4 of the companies represented seasoned troops 

 in training from 5 to 6 months. 



Every company of raw recruits, with one exception, showed an initial loss 

 in weight averaging 1 lb., followed by the end of the third week by an average 

 gain of 1 lb. over the original weight. There was also an initial loss in strength, 

 with recovery practically completed by the third week. 



The food consumption showed a wide variation which could not be correlated 

 with the changes in strength and weight. The average food consumption of 

 the seasoned troops was somewhat higher than that of recruits but showed 

 as great variations. 



Note on the acid-base balance of Army rations, jV. R. Bt.atherwick {Amer. 

 Jour. Phy.'iioL, 49 {1919), No. //, pp. 567-572, fig. i).— Tables are given of the acid- 

 base balance of Army rations at a number of camps and at base hospitals con- 

 nected with two of these camps. Some of the regular camp diets were strongly 

 acid-forming, some about neutral, and others base-forming. There was a 

 tendency, however, for the rations to be acid-forming in character. In the 

 hospital dietaries, on the contrary, the base-forming elements were practically 

 always in excess. The rations were in all cases found to contain more calcium, 

 phosphorus, and iron than the usually accepted standards. 



Investigations of the possible relationship of diet to disease were conducted 

 at Camp Wheeler and Camp Devens, In the former, a rough parallelism was 

 indicated between the duration of disease (measles, mumps, influenza, and 

 pneumonia) and the amounts of meat supplied. In the latter no relationship 

 was shown between the excess acid in the rations or the calorific intake and 

 the influenza rate. The results obtained at Camp Wheeler are thought to 

 suggest the possibility tliat an acid-forming diet consumed for long periods of 

 time may lead to a greater susceptibility to diseases of the less infectious type. 



Dried vegetables for Army use, S. C. Peescott {Amer. Jour. Physiol., 4.9 

 {1919), No. J/, pp. 573-577). — ^This is a general discussion of the advantages in 

 the military use of dried vegetables, with suggestions as to the best means to 

 secure good products. 



American military hospital dietaries, 11. G. Hoskins {Amer. Jour. Physiol., 

 J,9 {1919), No. 4. pp. 578-587, figs. 2).— In addition to a discussion of the prob- 

 lems of military hospital nutrition, which are treated in greater detail in a 

 previous communication (E. S. R., 40, p. 866), tables are given and discussed 

 of the quantitative data available on the actual food consumption in Army 

 hospitals and medical organizations, of a detailed ration study at a base 

 hospital for seven consecutive days, of the metabolism of an ambulance com- 

 pany, and of the average daily expenditure for certain foods for six months 

 in the messes of the patients, detachments, officers, and nurses of a base 

 hospital. 



The average calorific consumption of different diets based on varying num- 

 bers of studies was as follows: Liquid diet (one study) 900 calories with normal 

 distribution of protein, fat, and carbohydrate; light diets (two studies com- 

 prising 3,734 rations), 2,22.5 calories with 15 per cent protein and 29 per cent 

 fat; regular diets (ten studies comprising 29,827 rations), 3,236 calories with 

 35 per cent fat and slightly low protein and carbohydrate content; sick officers' 

 ward (one study comprising 137 rations), 3,570 calories with 39 per cent fat; 

 158071°— No. 9—20 5 



