NUTRITION LABORATORY* 



Francis G. Benedict, Director. 



The time of the past year has been occupied in the construction and equip- 

 ment of the Nutrition Laboratory, the construction of two respiration calo- 

 rimeters, the translation of important Russian monographs, and the computa- 

 tion of results of earlier experiments. Owing to the fact that laboratory facil- 

 ities were not available until well into the spring of 1908, experimental work 

 was impracticable. 



On the definite action of the Board of Trustees to establish a nutrition lab- 

 oratory, the preliminary tentative plans were submitted to Messrs. Shepley, 

 Rutan & Coolidge, of Boston, for the elaboration of the architectural and en- 

 gineering details. Shortly after the completion of the plans and specifications 

 they were submitted for bids and the contract awarded to Messrs. Horton & 

 Hemenway. The ground was broken early in July and the contract specified 

 that the building was to be delivered ready for occupancy on February i, 1908. 



Site. — As a result of a careful examination of a considerable number of 

 possible laboratory sites, a plot of ground on Vila Street, Boston, Massa- 

 chusetts, was purchased from the Board of Overseers of Harvard University. 

 The site is in close proximity to the tuberculosis hospital of the House of the 

 Good Samaritan, the New England Deaconess Hospital, and the properties 

 owned by the trustees of the Peter Brigham, Children's, and Rotch Hospitals. 



In the near future it is hoped that the investigations with the respiration 

 calorimeter, thus far conducted only on normal subjects, can be extended to 

 include observations on pathological subjects, and consequently it is obvious 

 that the close proximity of the laboratory to the large number of hospitals 

 built or planned will facilitate in a marked degree scientific cooperation in 

 investigating pathological metabolism. 



One of the most important factors in the immediate desirability of this site 

 was the fact that through the courtesy of the authorities of Harvard College 

 arrangements were made whereby heat, power, light, compressed air, and 

 brine for refrigerating purposes could be obtained at cost from the large 

 power-house of the Harvard Medical School, situated on land immediately 

 adjacent to the laboratory site. 



Building. — As it was impracticable, owing to the cramped quarters at Wes- 

 leyan University, to continue working at that institution, a temporary wooden 

 building was constructed on the laboratory site immediately in the rear of the 

 laboratory building. In this building detailed plans for the new calorimeters 



* Address: Vila Street, Boston, Massachusetts. Grant No. 482. For investigations 

 and maintenance. (For previous reports on work in nutrition see Year Books Nos. 

 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.) 



IS8 



