2IO REPORTS OF INVESTIGATIONS AND PROJECTS. 



parts or to deprive the body of any constituent which is fundamentally im- 

 portant for its functions. A lack of certain customary constituents in the 

 diet does not lead to the formation of a new type of tissue and altered chem- 

 ical phenomena of growth. Normal growth can proceed only when all the 

 essential constituents are available for assimilation; and the withdrawal of 

 these is accompanied by a general and uniform disintegration, so that the 

 relative composition of the remaining tissues continues unaltered. The 

 bearing of these facts upon nutrition and dietetics is obvious. 



Osborne, Thomas B., Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, New 

 Haven, Connecticut. Grants Nos. 439 and 497. For work on vege- 

 table proteins. (For previous reports see Year Books Nos. 3, 4, 5, 

 and 6.) $9,000. 



Grant No. 439 ($3,000). — During the past year satisfactory progress has 

 been made with work done under this grant, for experience with the methods 

 employed has made it possible to obtain results more rapidly than formerly. 



The only serious obstacle to the progress of the work was presented by an 

 unfortunate accident to the liquid-air apparatus belonging to the Sheffield 

 Scientific School of Yale University, which institution has generously fur- 

 nished Dr. Osborne with a liberal supply of liquid air which is necessary for 

 his work. As about three months were required to repair the apparatus, the 

 number of hydrolyses of the proteins which it was possible to complete was 

 correspondingly reduced, for during this interval liquid air could be obtained 

 from no other source. 



Nearly all the more important proteins of seeds used for nutrition of men 

 and domestic animals have now been hydrolyzed, and definite knowledge ob- 

 tained as to the relative proportions of their decomposition products. It is 

 intended to prepare a detailed summary of the work done along these lines 

 under this and previous grants, in which the more important questions relat- 

 ing to these hydrolyses will be fully discussed. 



During the year the following work, described in the last Year Book as in 

 press, has been published, as shown in the bibliography, page 50: Hydroly- 

 ses of the proteins of maize, of amandin from the almond, and of gliadin 

 from rye. 



Hydrolyses of vicilin and of coagulated legumelin from the pea (Pisunt 

 sativum) have been completed and the results published in the Journal of 

 Biological Chemistry. The results of the hydrolyses of legumin from the 

 vetch and of vignin from the cow-pea (Vigiia sinensis) have appeared in the 

 American Journal of Physiology. 



In accord with the plan originally outlined for this work, hydrolyses of 

 some of the more important animal proteins have been made in order to com- 

 pare the proportion of their various products of hydrolysis with those of the 



