FOODS — HUMAN NUTRITION. 659 



niotbod It was noted that 3 whitp, finely ground flours yielded gluten with a 

 lower expansion value than coarser flours. This value also diminishes the 

 longer tlio Unur is kept niid if the flour lic'conies acid the decrease is very 

 marked. 



Determining' the volume of bread, M. P. Neumann and P. Salecker {Ztschr. 

 Unt' r.sucli. Xithr. a. aciiii.'<sint1., 16 (W08), Xo. 5, pp. 285-290, figs. 2).— Accord- 

 ing to the authors' investigations better results are obtained witli water than 

 with fine seed in determining the volume of a loaf by displacement. When 

 water is used tlH> bread nmst be first coated witli paraffin. The apparatus 

 which they use is descrihcd. 



Experiments with special bread made from the entire grain, II. Stuink 

 iVcniffciitl. MIL Sanitutsw., J908, No. 3S. pp. 3.~>-52; abs. in Chem. ZentbL, 

 lOOS, I, Xo. 20, p. IS.'iS). — Digestion experiments and other studies showed that 

 the nitrogenous material in this bread was not more thoroughly assimilated 

 than in ordinary army bread. On the other hand, the assimilation of mineral 

 matter, especially phosphoric acid, was increased. The bread under considera- 

 tion was made by a si)ecial process in which the bran is separated, treated in 

 such a way as to soften it, and then mixed with the flour in bread u)aUing. 



Concerning bread facilities, H. Bischoff {Ztsclir. Hyg. it. Iiifcktionskrank., 

 59 (IDOS). pp. 15'i-lUi); tihs. in Chcin. ZcnthL, 1908, I, Xo. 26, p. 2/97).— The 

 author concludes that army bread should be made from flour with a low bran 

 content. 



Helianthus tubers, a new vegetable, L. Kroeber {Apotli. Ztg., 23 (1908), Xo. 

 J,30; <ihst. in Chem. Ztg., 32 (1908), Xo. 5',, Rcpert., p. 353).— A brief note on the 

 culture and use of helianthus tubers as a vegetable. They resemble potatoes in 

 the method in which they are used and suggest artichokes in flavor. 



A sample of Chinese soy, A. IIerlant (Bui. Soc. Roy. Sci. Med. et Xat. 

 lintj-rllcfi, 66 (1908), p. 35; abs. in Biochcni. CentbJ., 7 (1908), Xo. 11-12, p. 

 .'i8l). — 8oy is described and an analysis of a Chinese sample is reported. 



Chemical study of a sugar yielding' grass, E. Perrot and E. Tassilly 

 {Bui. tiov. Chiin. France, Jf. ser., 3 (1908), Xo. 12, pp. 7.'/0-7//2; abs. in Chem. 

 Abs., 2 (1908), Xo. 22, pp. 3113, 5/ /-i).— Analyses showed that Panicuni stag- 

 uiuinn contained 10 per cent cane sugai", 7 per cent dextrose, and emulsin. No 

 glncosids or invertase were identified. This plant grows in the marshy regions 

 about the Niger and is used in making a sort of sirup and other food i)roducts 

 or drinks. 



The endo- and ektoinvertase of the date, A. E. ^'inson (Jour. Amer. Chem. 

 Soc, .iO (1908), Xo. 6, pp. 1005-1020).— The following is quoted from the au- 

 thor's summary of his work and discussion of problems concerned with the 

 ripening of dates : 



" Th«' invertase of the date remains insoluble in all ordinary solvents through- 

 out its green stages, l»ut becomes readily soluble on ripening. The change in 

 the l)ehavior of the invertase toward solvents coincides very closely in point 

 of time with the passage of the tannhi into the insoluble form. Tannin in rela- 

 tively large amounts does not retard the action of date invertase either in the 

 extract or in the pulp. Soluble tannin, however, hinders the solution of date 

 inverta.se in water, but the invertase can be extracted by glycerol, provided the 

 u'lycerol is added at the same time the taini'.a is added. Green date Invertase 

 eaii not 1)6 extracted hy crushing and macerating the green fruit with glycerol, 

 therefore the invertase is not rendered insuluhle by the escape of solul)le 

 tannin on crushing the tannin cells. This conclusion is confirmed by the be- 

 havior of the invertase in the tannin-free jiortion of the date after the tannin- 

 hearing tissues have l)een completely removed. There is no direct coiniection 

 hetweeu the change iu the state of the tannin and that of the invertase. 



