60 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



with the question of the isodynamic replacing value of fats and carbohydrates in a 

 ration. 



Criticism of the methods followed in establishing- dietary standards, L. 

 Pascault ( Rev. Soc. Sci. Hyg. Aliment., 1 (1904), No. 3, pp. 200-201 ') .—In the author's 

 opinion, most of the studies used to determine dietary standards have been made 

 with overnourished subjects, this being a common condition. He points out that 

 investigations arc needed which are not open to this criticism. He believes that it 

 will probably be found that the physiological ration will vary considerably with the 

 character of the diet 



On the absorption and utilization of proteids without intervention of the 

 alimentary digestive processes, K B. Mendel and E. W. Rockwood (Amer. Jour. 

 Physiol, 1 -' ( 1904), No. 4, pp. 336-352). — In experiments with animals the absorp- 

 tion of proteids introduced directly into the small intestine, into the peritoneal 

 cavity, and into the circulation was studied. The authors' summary of the investi- 

 gation follows: 



"Vegetable proteids (crystallized edestin from hemp seed and excelsin from the 

 Brazil nut), slowly introduced in solution into the circulation of animals, can appar- 

 ently be retained in the organism for the most part, even when the quantities intro- 

 duced almost equal that of the globulins normally present in the blood. . . . When 

 solutions of vegetable proteids are injected too rapidly or in too great concentration, 

 toxic symptoms, including an inhibition of the cardiac and respiratory activities, 

 may be observed, especially in cats. . . . 



"The chemically similar proteids, edestin and excelsin, show slight differences in 

 physiological action, a small amount of a proteose-like substance being found in the 

 urine after intravenous or intraperitoneal (parenteral) introduction of excelsin, but 

 not with edestin. The observation suggests the further possibility of applying 

 chemicobiological reactions in distinguishing related proteids. 



"The vegetable proteids soon disappear in considerable part when introduced into 

 the peritoneal cavity. That they reach the circulation is made probable in the case 

 of excelsin at least, by the appearance of the typical urine proteose-body noted after 

 direct intravenous injections. For the most part, however, the proteids do not 

 reappear in the urine. 



"The unaltered proteids edestin and casein are absorbed to a very small extent, if 

 at all, from portions of the living small intestine in which the ordinary digestive 

 processes are excluded as far as possible. On the other hand, the proteoses and 

 peptones obtained by peptic digestion of these proteids readily disappear from the 

 intestine under the same conditions. It is not necessary to assume that in these 

 cases they are first completely broken down by the intestinal enzym erepsin; for 

 casein (upon which erepsin can act) may remain unabsorbed. Dissolved edestin 

 could be recovered in crystallin form, i. e., unchanged after remaining in the intes- 

 tine for several hours. The typical vegetable proteids show no marked differences 

 from those of animal origin in their relation to the processes of metabolism. 



"The attempts to learn the fate of the foreign proteids retained in the system have 

 been rather unsuccessful. It will be of interest to ascertain something further regard- 

 ing their destination and the exact mode of utilization which they undergo." 



The passage of different food stuffs from the stomach and through the 

 small intestine, W. B. Cannon (Amer. .Jour. Physiol., 12 (1904), No. 4, pp. 387- 

 418, Jigs. 9). — Different amounts of protein, fat, and carbohydrate foods were mixed 

 with a small amount of subnitrate of bismuth and fed to cats. The processes of 

 digestion were studied at regular intervals for 7 hours after feeding by means of a 

 fluorescent screen and the Rontgen rays. 



The investigations are summarized as follows: 



"Fats remain long in the stomach. The discharge of fats begins slowly and con- 

 tinues at nearly the same rate at which the fat leaves the small intestine by absorption 



