January 16, 1920] 



SCIENCE 



71 



lieved from these results that the vitamin in ques- 

 tion will be found universally distributed in plant 

 and animal tissues, and that it plays an essential 

 part in the respiratory process. The evidence 

 favors the view that this vitamin is the water- 

 soluble antineuritie B. 



The preparation of a stable vitamine prodxict 

 and its value in nutrition: H. E. Dubin. An ac- 

 tive stable vitamine product has been prepared 

 from corn, autolyzed yeast, and orange juice. 

 This vitamine product, containing the antineuritie, 

 antiscorbutic aud antirachitic vitamines, has been 

 given the name ' ' Vitaphos. ' ' A tentative analysis 

 shows 10 per cent, calcium oxide, 15 per cent, 

 phosphorus (mostly organic), 3 per cent, nitrogen, 

 and 2 per cent. fat. Experiments with pigeons, 

 guinea pigs and finally with children receiving 

 "Vitaphos" in the diet, gave results showing that 

 the product possessed marked growth promoting 

 properties and both preventive and curative prop- 

 erties as regards polyneuritis and scurvy. Cases 

 of rickets treated with ' ' Vitaphos ' ' showed marked 

 improvements and considerable gain in weight. 

 Further experimentation is under way. 



I Chemical isolation of vitamines: C. N. Myers 

 AND Carl Voegtlin. Brief historical discussion of 

 previous chemical work with special reference to 

 the pioneer researches of Casimir Funk. Vita- 

 mines are classified as antineuritie, antirachitic and 

 antiscorbutic. Autolyzed yeast filtrate was used 

 in part of the experiments but was found unsatis- 

 factory on account of its complexity. Mastic 

 emulsion, Lloyd's reagent, and ferric chloride 

 were used in removing the active material from the 

 filtrate. These purified fractions were tested for 

 activity on polyneuritic birds. Dried yeast was 

 finally used as the source of active material. 

 Purification by means of heavy metal precipitation 

 was carried out yielding a crystalline substance. 



The vitamine content of wheat flour: C. O. Johns, 

 A. J. Finks and M. S. Paul. 



The relation of plant carotinoids to growth, fe- 

 cundity and reproduction in fowls: Leroy S. 

 Palmer and Haert L. Kempstee. White Leg- 

 horn chicks were raised from hatching to matur- 

 ity on rations containing the merest traces, if not 

 entirely devoid, of carotinoids. The full grown 

 hens exhibited normal fecundity although the 

 yolks of the eggs were devoid of carotinoids. The 

 carotinoid-free eggs showed normal fertility. A 

 second generation of chicks, free from carotinoids 

 at hatching have been hatched from the carotinoid- 



free eggs. Carotinoid-free egg yolks contain a 

 residual yellow pigment readily extracted by ace- 

 tone, which is not related to the normal axantho- 

 phyll of the yolk. This paper appeared in fuU in 

 the September issue of the Journal of Biological 

 Chemistry. 



The physiological relation between fecundity and 

 tlie natural yellow pigmentation of certain breeds 

 of fowls: Leroy S. Palmer and Harry L. 

 Kempstbr. (By title.) The fading of the yellow 

 color from the ear lobes, beak, shanks, etc., of a 

 hen during fecundity is due to the fact that fe- 

 cundity deflects the normal path of excretion of 

 xanthophyU from these parts of the skin to the 

 figs yolk, with the resulting gradual disappearance 

 of pigment from the epidermis because of natural 

 physiological changes in the structure of the skin. 

 It is impossible to restore xanthophyU to the epi- 

 dermis or to color the adipose tissue of hens as 

 long as fecundity exists. The loss of pigment from 

 the ear lobes, beak, shanks, etc., as the result of 

 egg laying, is an index of continuous fecundity 

 only, not of heavy egg laying. This paper ap- 

 peared in full in the September issue of the Jour- 

 nal of Biological Chemistry. 



■ The influence of specific feeds and certain pig- 

 ments on the color of the egg yolk and body fat of 

 fowls : Leroy S. Palmer and Harry L. Kempster. 

 (By title.) Carotin and annatto are without in- 

 fluence on the color of the visible skin parts and 

 adipose tissue of poultry. Sudan III. colors only 

 the adipose tissue of non-laying hens and is with- 

 out effect on the visible skin parts. With laying 

 hens the egg yolk is colored in addition to the 

 adipose tissue. XanthophyU readily colors both 

 the adipose tissue and visible skin parts of fowls 

 of the type of the White Leghorn breed, as long 

 as fecundity does not exist. Yellow corn and 

 green feed are rich in xanthophyU. Hemp seed, 

 barley, gluten feed and red corn contain traces of 

 xanthophyU, while wheat, wheat bran, oats, cot- 

 tonseed meal, meat scrap and blood meal contain 

 negligible quantities of the pigment. This paper 

 appeared in full in the September issue of the 

 Journal of Biological Chemistry. 



The relation of the natural enzymes of butter to 

 the production of "tallowiness" through the 

 agency of copper salts: Leroy S. Palmer and W. 

 B. Combs. (By title.) "Tallowy" butter was 

 produced by the addition of 0.017 per cent, copper 

 lactate to both raw cream and cream which had 

 been pasteurized at 79°-80° C. In each of several 

 experiments typical tallowiness and bleaching oe- 



