180 JouEXAL OF THE MiTCHELL SociETY [February 



be formed and deposited just the same as on a diet of neutral 

 fat. In other words, during a fat-free diet containing the fatty 

 acid radicals only, the corresponding fats will appear in the 

 intestinal epithelial cells all the while, showing that the body 

 has the power of immediately synthesizing the glycerine and 

 combining the two to form a circulating fat. ISTot only has the 

 body the power of synthesizing the glycerol portion, but also 

 the fatty acid radicle. In summary, it can synthesize its own fat 

 from other non-fat constituents or "building stones" of the 

 diet. Long time experiments with chemically fat-free rations 

 show an increase maintenance of body fat tissue. Besides, we 

 have the old well-used example of the milk and butter fat pro- 

 duction in large quantity on a practically fat-free diet, that is, 

 from a largely carbo-hydrate and protein diet, where the intake 

 of fat elements is very far out of proportion to the fat pro- 

 duction and secretion. 



Are the proteins, carbo-hydrates and fats of the 

 diet specific for the synthesis of specific tissue ? iNTo. 

 Does it require absolutely and exclusively the casein and 

 lactalbumin of mother's milk to produce the infant tissue and 

 infant metabolic exchanges ? No. Does it require the Gliadin 

 and associated proteins of the endospern of the wheat kernel 

 to produce the wheat plantlet? We do not know. And why 

 did l^ature ''happen" to place a crystalline albumin in the egg 

 and the protein edestin in the kernel of the hemjD seed ? Ten 

 years ago I recall hearing my associate and teacher. Dr. Thomas 

 B. Osborne, of ISTew Haven, say: "Suppose the reserve pro- 

 teins are specific for each biological kind. What would happen 

 if we could aseptically replace the albumin of the egg with the 

 protein gliadin of the wheat and incubate the resulting product ? 

 Would we produce a chick of normal proportions, or would he 

 take on vegetative characteristics, develop chlorophyl, multiple 

 wings, and keep cool in summer under the shade of his own 

 green leaves ?" Of course, this was an indulgence of the imagi- 

 nation to the production of a monstrosity. 



But, seriously again, we are just now in the dawn 

 of a newer and broader chemistry whereby some of 



