FOODS — HUMAN NUTRITION. 163 



" Semisolid meat extracts sold in jars are not concentrated beef. They are 

 stimulants and flavoring adjuncts and have only a slight food value, owing to a 

 small amount of protein (muscle-building food) which they contain. They are 

 more expensive than homemade soups. 



" Fluid meat extracts are dilute solutions of semisolid meat extracts. They 

 are sold in bottles and are flavored. They are more expensive than the semi- 

 solid meat extracts because they contain more water. 



"Commercial meat juices are largely deprived of their most valuable food 

 constituent — the coagulable protein, or muscle-building food. They are similar 

 to fluid meat extracts, and some makes cost more. 



"Homemade meat broth is more nutritious and provides more meat extrac- 

 tives, protein, and fat at less expense than the commercial preparations. 



" Homemade meat and vegetable soup contains much more food and is there- 

 fore much cheaper than the bouillons or soups prepared from commercial cubes, 

 extracts, or juices." 



Bouillon cubes, F. C. Cook {Jour. Indus, and Engin. Chem., 5 {1913), No. 12, 

 pp. 989, 990). — Analytical data are rer)orted regarding the bouillon cubes 

 referred to above. 



"Bouillon cubes on the market at present consist of about 5 per cent of 

 water, 1 to 4.5 per cent of ether extract (fat), and 50 to 74 per cent of ash 

 which is practiclly all sodium chlorid. The nitrogen bodies and undetermined 

 organic material amount to 20 to 40 per cent. The phosphoric acid {V^Ot) 

 varies from 0.4 to 1.8 per cent, the total nitrogen from 2.1 to 3.6 per cent, and 

 the total creatinin from 0.49 to 1.67 per cent. 



"A cube prepared largely from meat extract gives high total phosphoric acid 

 (PsOb), total nitrogen, and total creatinin figures. The amount of nitrogen 

 precipitated by absolute alcohol and hydrochloric acid is also markedly higher 

 than in a cube containing much plant and little meat extract. . . . 



"Bouillon is a clear broth, the basis of which is meat; consequently a true 

 bouillon cube should show high creatinin and high total nitrogen figures, and 

 should be prepared entirely, or largely from meat stock or meat extract in addi- 

 tion to the salt and fat present. Several of the cubes on the market contain 

 much more plant than meat extract and are not entitled to the name 'bouillon' 

 unless modified." 



Notes on rare fishes sold for food in east London, F. J. Stubbs {Zoologist, 

 Jf. ser., 17 {1913), No. 202, pp. 377-381) .—These notes were collected during the 

 preparation for the Whitechapel (Stepney Borough) Museum of an exhibit of 

 the food fishes for sale in east London and include, besides a description of the 

 method of making casts of the fishes, brief notes on the habitat and appearance 

 of the less common varieties. Among the latter are the greater weever 

 {Tracfiinus draco), beryx {Beryx dccadactylus) , sea bream {Pagellus centro- 

 dontus), ide {Leuciscus idus), sile smelt {Argentina silus). lesser ling {Molva 

 dipterygia), Macrurus rupestris, Malacocephalus Icevis {Macrurus Icevis), and 

 lumpsucker {Gyclopteriis lunvpiis). 



Size of the sample necessary for the accurate determination of the sani- 

 tary quality of shell oysters, G. H. Smith {Anier. Jour. Puh. Health, 3 {1913), 

 No. 7, pp. 705-708). — According to the author, consistent results can not be 

 obtained with less than 15 oysters. A standard of purity for oyster liquor 

 should be established similar to the standards in use for water and milk. 



Studies of phosphatids, particularly those in egg yolk, J. Eppleb {Hoppe- 

 Seyler's Ztschr. Physiol. Chem., 87 {1913), No. 4, pp. 235-254).— Analytical 

 data are reported and discussed. 



