FOOD8 II I'M AN NUTRITION. 



"When the simple diel was used, the com products again made 8 favorable show- 

 ing as regards both total < irganic matter and energ} . least favorable of all, however, 

 in digestibility of protein. It' we value these foods in proportion to the digestibility 

 of their protein when used with a mixed diet, we musl place rolled wheal iirsi and 

 t lie corn products last. 



•• When the digestibility of the cereals alone is calculated, more Btriking results are 

 obtained. It will be noticed thai the rolled wheat now ranks first, not only in the 

 digestibility of the total organic matter, bul also with respecl to the protein. The 

 rolled oats rank next, ami the corn preparations and Bhredded wheal the lowesl 

 of all. 



"One of the most noticeable differences in these cereal foods is found in the diges- 

 tibility of the protein when the cereal is eaten with a simple diet. This difference 

 i< most marked in tin- various wheal products, especially when the results are calcu- 

 lated to the c'rcal alone." 



The nitrogen content of barley and malt. Prior (Allg. Ztschr. Bierbrau. ". 

 Mahfabrih, ■'>.' | 1904), />■ ■'■'•': "''«■ >» Ztschr. Untersuch. Nahr. u. Genussmtl, 9 I 1905 I, 

 .V". ;. pp. ;/';. 427). The author discusses the relationship between aitrogen contenl 

 and the quality of malt, and outlines experiments which he proposes to undertake. 



The distribution of nitrog-enous material in barley, E. Jalowetz {Allg. Ztschr. 

 Bierbrau. ". Malzfabrik., 32 {1904), pp. ■■''■'• '''"• " l,s - '" Ztschr. Untersuch. Nahr. ". 

 Genussmtl., 9 (1905), No. ;. /<. f-26). — According to the author's investigations, the 

 upper part of the grain (water tree) contained 17.7."> per cenl protein, the middle 

 portion 11.19 per cent, and the lower end 14.-14 percent. The data are discussed 

 with relation to malt making, 



The purin bodies of food stuffs, I. \V. Bali! {Philadelphia: J'. Blakiston 1 8 Son 

 &Co. y 1904, ?.ed.,rev.,pp. 202 ■ XIII, pis. 2, fig. 1). — In this second and revised edi- 

 tion the author states that part of the volume has been rewritten and new matter 

 added, including the results of analyses, experimental and bibliographical data. etc. 



Among the questions discussed are the chemistry and physiology of food purins, 

 methods of estimating food purins and their action, the fate of such hodies in metab- 

 olism, the effect of driii:- upon the elimination of purin bodies, purins in relation to 

 disease, and related topics, the volume as a whole being a digest of his <>w n investi- 

 gations and those carried on by others. The author has devised an improved method 

 of estimating purin hodies and reports data showing the amount present in different 

 food products. 



Some 6f the general conclusions follow: "*< )i t lie known purin hodies. hypoxanthin, 



xanthiu. guanin, and the met h\ 1-xanthins, caffein and theobromin are found in f 1 



stuffs, and uric acid and traces of xanthins and met h \ 1-xant hins are met with in the 

 urine. . . . In food stuffs, the purin bodies occur in 2 forms, "free' and •hound.' 

 Both the glandular and muscular tissues contain approximately equal amounts of 

 •free-purins,' hut the glandular tissues yield very large and the muscles only very 

 small qua/itities of bound-purins (nucleins). 



"The estimations of the purin bodies contained in meats show that considerable 



quantities are present, hut that little difference exists between the amounts contained 



in white and dark meats. Certain vegetable foods have been found to contain purin 

 bodies. Amongst these are peas, beans, oatmeal, asparagus, and onions. This fur- 

 nishes a reason for the high uric acid excretion which follows their ingestion. 

 From several varieties of beer and porter purin hodies have been isolated, and their 

 percentage amounts estimated." 



Urinary purin occurs principally in the form of uric acid. In experiment- reported 



the amount was increased by feeding fish, fowl, beef, beans, and beer. "The 

 increase of urinary purin reflects the metabolic activity of the individual in regard 

 to nucleins. The feces may contain unabsorbed nucleins as well as certain purin sub- 



