218 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXVIII. No. 711 



Corn-fed animal 31.98 



Wheat-fed animal 54.86 



Oat-fed animal 41.51 



Misture-fed animal 55.97 



These figures are the averages for seven days' 

 record for each animal. The form in which the 

 nitrogen appeared in the urine of each of these 

 calves was determined for a period of two days 

 during which the urine and feces were collected 

 quantitatively. The forms estimated were am- 

 monia, urea, uric acid, purin bases, hippuric 

 acid, kreatinin, kreatin and allantoin. The fol- 

 lowing are the more conspicuous results. 

 ( 1 ) The high percentage of urea compared to that 

 of hippuric acid. The urea ranged between 62.05 

 and 82.41 per cent, and the hippuric acid be- 

 tween 1.26 and 9.05 per cent, of the total 

 nitrogen. Urea was uniformly higher and hip- 

 puric acid lower in wheat-fed calves than in the 

 other lots. Corn-fed calves excreted less nitrogen 

 as urea and more as hippuric acid than the other 

 lots. (2) The kreatinin output calculated in 

 terms of the total nitrogen excreted was very 

 much higher in corn-fed calves than in other lots. 

 Averages : for oat lot, 3.69 ; wheat lot, 3.01 ; 

 com lot, 9.08; mixture lot, 4.57; per cent, of the 

 total nitrogen. ( 3 ) The total absence of allantoin 

 from the urines of all wheat-fed calves. Allan- 

 toin was present in the urine of the other lots in 

 amounts varying from 3.99 to 11.76 per cent, of 

 the total nitrogen. 

 Ths Behavior of Alanin in Metabolism: Gbaham 



LUSK. 



On giving twenty grams of i-alanin to a dog 

 made diabetic by phlorhizin injections, sugar in- 

 creased in the urine in an amount to indicate 

 an almost complete (93 per cent.) conversion of 

 alanin into dextrose. This coincides with previ- 

 ous experiments by Mandel and Lusk which 

 showed a complete conversion of lactic acid into 

 dextrose within the organism. 



On a Gloiulin from the Egg Talk of the Spiny 

 Dog-fish: C. A. Alsbero and E. D. Clask. 

 The yolk does not contain a typical vitelline: 



but in its stead a globulin free from phosphorus 



and perhaps iron. This may be due to the fact 



that the animal is viviparous. 



On the Vtilization of Inorganic Phosphorus ty 

 Animals: E. B. Habt and E. V. McCollum. 

 This work embraces experiments extending 

 over a period of two years with growing pigs. 

 The results clearly indicate that inorganic phos- 

 phates, such as bone ash, finely ground rock phos- 



phate, or precipitated calcium phosphate — a mix- 

 ture of di- and tri-calcium phosphates — can be 

 used by these animals where rations containing 

 insufficient phosphorus are being fed. Young ani- 

 mals of forty pounds weight, receiving inorganic 

 phosphate, together with other salts as supple- 

 mentary on a ration very low in mineral con- 

 stituents, grew to be animals of 280 poimds 

 weight, bore litters of fairly vigorous pigs, which 

 on the same ration completed the cycle back to 

 80 pounds, while animals on the same ration, less 

 the inorganic phosphate, collapsed in three months 

 with loss of weight and use of limbs. Some of 

 the more important observations made are as 

 follows : ( 1 ) Animals on a ration extremely low 

 in phosphorus made as large gains up to 75 to 

 100 pounds as did animals receiving an abundance 

 of this element. After reaching this point loss 

 of weight began, followed by collapse. (2) When 

 such low phosphorus rations as induced the above 

 symptoms were supplemented with inorganic 

 phosphates, no untoward results appeared. Ani- 

 mals fed a low phosphorus ration, supplemented 

 with inorganic phosphates, made as vigorous a 

 development as others receiving wholly organic 

 phosphorus. (3) Determinations of calcium and 

 phosphorus in the principal organs and tissues 

 of the animals on the low phosphorus ration 

 showed that they maintained their composition 

 normal. The per cent, of ash in the skeletons of 

 pigs on a depleted phosphorus ration was reduced 

 to nearly one half that of pigs which received a 

 normal ration, or the phosphorus-poor ration 

 plus inorganic phosphates. When the animals 

 were starving for phosphorus they drew it from 

 the skeleton, but always removed calcium and 

 phosphorus in the proportions foimd in tri-cal- 

 ciiun phosphate. 

 The Importance of Digestion in the Utilization 



of Cane Sugar: Iskael S. Kleinee. 



The average output of saccharose after intra- 

 peritoneal or subcutaneous introduction into dogs 

 under various experimental conditions was found 

 to be 65 per cent, to 75 per cent, in a large num- 

 ber of experiments. The extremes were 37 per 

 cent, and 99 per cent. There is some evidence 

 that the portion not recovered is not all excreted 

 into the intestine, but is metabolized within the 

 body. 

 Effect of the Ratio of Magnesium to Calcium, on 



the Roots of Seedlings: Bxjsd L. Haetweix 



and F. E. Pembeb. 



Magnesium nitrate has been found to be toxic 

 to wheat seedlings; the addition of calcium and 



