700 



EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



Experiments on the digestibility of vegetables, A. ]'. I>I£Ya.\t and R. D. 

 MiLXER {Arner. Jour. Fhyswl., 10 {1903), No. 11, ]jp. S 1-99) .—The digestibility of 

 cabbage, pf)tatoes, beets, green corn, and apple sauce was studied in experiments 

 carried on with healthy young men, each of the artic'les enumerated being added to 

 a sinij)le basal ration and the digestibility of the foods under consideration calcu- 

 lati'd from the digestibility of tlie ration as a whole. The average results which were 

 obtained follow: 



Coefficients of dlgedibility of vegetables. 



Kind of vegetable. 



Nitrogen- 

 free 

 extract. 



Crude 

 fiber. 



Energy. 



Cabbage, average of 3 te.sts — 



Potatoe.s, average of 3 te.sts 



Beets, average of 3 te.sts 



Apple .sauce, average of 2 tests 

 Green corn, 1 test 



Pei- cent. 

 81.6 

 99.0 

 %.7 

 99.4 

 96.6 



Per cent. 

 77.3 

 74.3 

 84.4 

 9.5.2 

 59.3 



Per cent. 

 55." 1 

 76.6 

 75.3 

 90.0 



Per cent. 

 .59.5 

 93. 6 

 89.7 

 98.8 

 86.2 



a Average of 2 tests only. 



& One test only. 



The authors' conclusions follow: "So far as sources of protein or fat are concerned, 

 the vegetables included in these studies may be considered as of little value. They 

 do, however, contain carbohydrates, which the results of these and other experi- 

 ments indicate to be C]uite well digested and ab.sorbed; and they may, therefore, be 

 considered as of value as sources of energy, a large proportion of which appears to be 

 available to the body. The chief value of many vegetables, however, is perhaps 

 aside from the nutrients or energy they furnish; they add a pleasing variety and pal- 

 atability to the diet, supply organic acids and mineral salts, and give the food a 

 bulkiness that seems to be of importance in its mechanical action in maintaining a 

 healthy activity of the alimentary tract. Possibly the result of these conditions is a 

 favorable influence upon the digestion of other food eaten with the vegetable; at least 

 such an effect was suggested by the results of some of these experiments." 



In connection with the above experiments the balance of the income and outgo of 

 nitrogen was also determined. 



The relative digestibility of some edible fats and oils, J. F. Moore {Arhmsas 

 Sta. Bal. 78, pp. 33-41). — The relative digestibility of cotton-seed and other vegetable 

 oils and common culinary fats of animal origin was studied with mice and guinea 

 pigs. In the experiments with mice the fats were mixed with fiour and water to a 

 stiff dough which was baked. The guinea pigs were fed wheat bran on which the 

 fat or oil was blown in a fine spray. The following table summarizes the results 

 obtained, the values for mice being the average results of 2 tests and those for guinea 

 pigs the results of 1 test: 



Average digestibility of fats and oils. Experiments with mice and guinea pigs. 



Kind of oil. 



Cooked fat. 



Experi- 

 ments with 

 mice. 



Raw fat. 

 Experi- 

 ments with 

 guinea 

 pigs. 



Home-rendered lard 



Home-rendered lard, soft, melting point 27.0° C.. 

 Home-rendered lard, hard, melting point 36.9° C. 



Beef suet, melting point 44.9° C 



Refined cotton-seed oil, light 



Refined cotton-seed oil, heavy 



Olive oil 



Peanut oil 



Com oil 



Crude cotton-seed oil 



Per cent. 

 96.81 



96.19 

 '97.'76' 



Per cent. 



88.78 

 73.88 

 73.66 

 93.37 

 90.47 

 88. 81 

 85.77 

 86.47 

 89.93 



