NUTRITION LABORATORY. 305 



(9) The energy content of extra foods. (Sandwiches.) Cornelia Golay Benedict and 



F. G. Benedict. Boston Aled. and Surg. Journ., vol. 184, p. 436 (1921). 



This paper is a continuation of the first two communications on the subject 

 of the energy-content of "extra foods." It presents the results secured with 

 the ready-prepared sandwiches which may be obtained at the ordinary lunch- 

 counter and drug-store. Although the prices during the period of observa- 

 tion (the spring of 1920) were somewhat higher than at present, it would seem 

 that the Frankfurt sandwich at 5 cents was a most economical source of energy. 

 On the other hand, the sliced-chicken sandwiches, frequently sold for 25 to 

 35 cents, represented an actual cost to the consumer of shced chicken corre- 

 sponding to approximately S5 or $7 a pound. The important role of sand- 

 wiches in the lunch or supplementary meal as affecting obesity, on the one 

 hand, and on the other hand as a legitimate factor in any of the three meals 

 of the day, is emphasized. The special purpose of these papers has been to 

 point out that very considerable energy is obtained in these extra foods, 

 i. e., candies, soda-fountain products, doughnuts, and sandwiches. Their 

 influence in cases of obesity is obvious. 



(10) The surface temperature of the elephant, rhinoceros, and hippopotamus. Francis G. 



Benedict, Edward L. Fox, and Marion L. Baker. Am. Journ. Physiol., vol. 56, 

 p. 464 (1921). 



Primarily for purposes of comparison wdth surface temperatures obtained 

 on nude humans, measurements were made of the skin-temperature of a 

 group of large, captive, hairless animals, namely, two elephants, a rhinoceros, 

 and a hippopotamus, which had for years been subjected to the same routine 

 of hfe in the New York Zoological Park. The average environmental tem- 

 perature was 19.5° C. With the two elephants the average temperature of 

 the skin was 25.5° C. Very pronounced temperature gradients were noted on 

 various parts of the ears and extraordinary temperature differences were found 

 at the tips of the right and left ears, both on the front and back of the ears 

 and on different days. With the rhinoceros the average skin-temperature 

 was 26.2° C, while in the semi-inclosed places, such as the groin and axilla 

 and between the folds of the skin temperatures as high as 33.4° C. were 

 found. The hippopotamus, by reason of its moist skin and amphibious 

 nature, has a very widely varying skin-temperature. The skin is considerably 

 colder on the back than on the belly. A rough average value shows the skin- 

 temperature of the hippopotamus is not far from 25° C. All these animals, 

 therefore, may be said in general to have the same skin-temperature, averag- 

 ing about 25.5° C, or about 6 degrees above the environmental temperature. 



(11) The measurement and standards of basal metabolism. Francis G. Benedict. Journ. 



Am. Med. Assoc, vol. 77, p. 247 (1921). 



At a largely attended symposium on basal metabolism in cUnical medicine 

 during the Seventy-Second Annual Session of the American Medical Associa- 

 tion at Boston in June 1921, occasion was taken to point out certain experi- 

 ences of the Nutrition Laboratory in the measurement of basal metaboUsm 

 and in the application of standards. The newest technique, with certain 

 modifications, particularly as to testing, was presented. Stress was laid upon 

 the difficulty of interpreting results and the standards for comparison, with 

 special emphasis upon the normal variations from standard and particularly 

 the influence of undernutrition. Practitioners were cautioned to familiarize 

 themselves thoroughly with the fundamentals of gaseous metabohsm and its 

 significance, for the interpretation of results in gaseous metabolism measure- 

 ments now far exceeds in complexity the actual laboratory technique. 



