992 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



gin. (if solids iiiikU- up i>|' ('(iiuil niiiouiils i>f iiiorj^'Uiiic ami or<;anic material, the urea 

 content being about 0.() gm., and the nitrogen coutent 0.47 gni. "A ease of ehronic 

 constipation ami indieanuria diil not diselose the presence of indol or skatol in the 

 sweat." 



On the morphological changes in the blood after muscular exercise, 1*. B. 

 Hawk {Anur. Jour. J'/ii/sioL, JO {1004), No. 7, pp. 3S4-400).— The experiments which 

 weie made with student athletes liave to do with the effects of muscular work. 



Sanitary precautions in food, A. 8. Atkinson ( ]V hat-To- Eat, 16 {1904), No. 5, 

 pp. 171, 17^). — Tlie possibility of transmitting disease by eating vegetables exjwsed 

 for sale where they can be contaminated with street dust is jiointed out. The author 

 also notes the imi>ortance of washing fruits and vegetables which are eaten raw, in 

 water of known purity. 



Food and drink in relation to disease; feeding in relation to the health of 

 the young, J. Niven {LoikJihi: Shcrratt l^- IfugJirs; rer. la JSrltisli Mai. .Jour., 1!)04, 

 No. 2-255, i^p. G74-G76). — The importance of proper nourishment for children is 

 pointed out and suggestions made for systematic impnjvement under existing con- 

 ditions. 



Other sources of typhoid infection than through the medium of drinking 

 •water, and how to guard against them, S. II.\rkis {Sanitarian, 52 {1904), No. 

 413, pp. 310-322). — Milk, ice, oysters, vegetal)les — especially those commonly eaten 

 raw — grown on land fertilized with night soil, dust, and flies are discussed as sources 

 of typhoid infection, in addition to those commonly recognized. To avoid the possi- 

 bility of infection the author believes that vegetables, if eaten raw, should be thor- 

 oughly washed in water of known purity, and in boiling water where it will not 

 destroy their flavor. Oysters that are suspected of being infected should never be 

 eaten raw. Flies are regardeil as especially dangerous and the need of protecting 

 food from them is pointed out. 



ANIMAL PRODUCTION. 



The importance of pentosans in feeding stuffs, especially those of rye 

 straw, A. von R. Rudzinski {Ztschr. Physiol. Chem., 40 {1904), No. 5-6, pp. 317-390, 

 fig. 1). — From experiments reported in detail the following conclusions were drawn: 

 The formation of pentosans in rye straw is not dependent upon tlie fertilizers used. 

 They are not evenly distributed in the head, Init are found most abundantly in the 

 rachis. Chaff has a considerably higher pentosan content than straw, while the root 

 closely resembles the head in respect to the amount of this constituent present. 



As shown l)y experiments with sheep, the coefficient of digestibilitj' of rve-straw 

 pentosans is 4fi.825 per cent, a value which is regarded as (jnite near the minimum. 

 The pentosans in the head and in the chaff were apparent!}' a little less digestible 

 than tliose in the straw, the coefficient of digestibility being 39.89 per cent. The 

 head and the chaff, notwithstanding the large proportion of nutrients which they 

 contain, do not have the same nutritive value as straw. 



^lodifying straw by the Lehmann method, i. e., heating the chopped material with 

 a dilute sodium-hydroxid solution for 6 hours under a pressure of 6 atmos])heres, 

 increased the digestibUity of pentosans to 70.20 per cent and tliat of the crude filler 

 to 61.49 per cent. The author points out, however, that straw thus treated is not a 

 satisfactory feeding stuff under all circumstances. 



Feeding 6.29 lbs. starch and 1.57 lbs. sugar per 1,000 lbs. live weight diminishes 

 the digestibility of pentosans of rye straw to 12.56 per cent and the digestibility of 

 crude fiber to 9.09 per cent. The pentosans, therefore, are apparently more easily 

 digested than the crude fiber. 



Concentrated feeds, J. B. Lindsey et al. { .Vasmchusetts Sta. Bui. 93, j^p. 51). — 

 Tiie Massaclinsetts law regulating the sale nt concentrated commercial feeds, which 

 was approved INIarch 2, 1903, is quoted. In accordance with its provisions analy.«es 



