June 26, 1914] 



SCIENCE 



957 



tion for feeding. The results of feeding the three- 

 month mixtures to rats, mice and kittens, and the 

 nutritive value and ratios of these mixtures, were 

 tabulated. The chemical deficiencies and abnormal 

 nutritive ratios in some of the foods are con- 

 firmed by the results of the animal-feeding tests. 

 Foods prepared with milk and water give uni- 

 formly better results than those prepared with 

 water alone. A comparative study on puppies of 

 the value of lactose and maltose was made. 

 Tlie Electrical Stimulation of Tissue: Oliver E. 



Closson. 



In using standardized inductoriura for the far- 

 adic stimulation of tissue by the break induced 

 shock it was found that the point in the primary 

 circuit where the break is made and the distribu- 

 tion and nature of the resistance must be the same 

 as used in standardizing. Keeping the same re- 

 sistance in the primary circuit so that the open cir- 

 cuit potential difference and amperage remain un- 

 altered, the position of the secondary in the region 

 50 cm. from the primary may be made to vary as 

 much as 15 em. for the same stimulating value by 

 changing the point in the primary circuit where 

 the current is broken or by changing the distribu- 

 tion of the resistance. In the secondary circuit 

 the distribution of the electrical capacity is of 

 very great importance in determining the beta 

 unit of Martin. It is found that the stimulating 

 value is greatest when the distribution of the ca- 

 pacity is such as to produce the greatest fall in the 

 average absolute negative potential (electron po- 

 tential) of the kathode and anode. The irritabil- 

 ity was greatest with an anelectrotonic change, 

 just the opposite to the usual electrotonie findings. 

 It, however, conforms with the findings which point 

 to the kations as being the important factor in 

 stimulation. 

 A New Apparatus for Determining Crude Fiber in 



Foods, Feeding-stuffs and Feces: A. T). Em- 



METT. 



In crude fiber determinations, it is often very 

 diflS-Cult to transfer the last portion of the insol- 

 uble residue from the flask to the Gooch crucible 

 or funnel. The use of the beaker is an advan- 

 tage, not only from the standpoint of accuracy, 

 but also with respect to the saving of time. The 

 special feature of this apparatus is the arrangement 

 which makes it possible to use a beaker. It con- 

 sists of a specially constructed glass cone and rub- 

 ber ring which prevents appreciable loss of water 

 vapor during the boiling and thereby any increase 

 in the concentration of the acid and alkali solu- 

 tions. The inverted cone is attached to a Hopkins 



condenser with rubber tubing and the ring is 

 snapped on to the lower edge of the cone. The 

 condenser, cone and ring are then lowered over a 

 400 e.c. lipless beaker and adjusted until the con- 

 nection between the rubber ring and beaker is 

 tight. The entire apparatus is fastened in place 

 by the clamp which holds the condenser. The glass 

 cone is provided with a side-tube attachment which 

 is so constructed that when air is drawn through 

 the apparatus gently, the tendency to foam is 

 greatly retarded. 



The Carbon Dioxide Excretion as Modified by Body 



Weight: G. 0. Higlet. 



This work was done with the apparatus de- 

 scribed in ' ' The Carbon Dioxide Excretion Result- 

 ing from Bicycling, ' ' Iligley and Bowen, Ameri- 

 can Journal of Physiology, XII., 4, page 311 

 (1904). There were nineteen subjects, students in 

 the University of Michigan. The subjects, who 

 had been engaged in laboratory work for several 

 hours preceding the experiments, reclined for fif- 

 teen minutes preceding the putting on of the mask 

 and the beginning of the record. The average ex- 

 cretion of carbon dioxide per kilogram of body 

 weight was .0063 grams. Wide departures from 

 this value seemed to be due (1) to an excessive 

 amount of adipose tissue in the body of the sub- 

 ject giving low results, and (2) to colds and to 

 indigestion giving high results. 



Proteins of the Central Nervous System: H. H. 



McGregor and C. G. MacArthtjr. 



A study of the proteins of the central nervous 

 system has been conducted by drying the fresh 

 tissue with an air current and removing a large 

 proportion of the lipoids by cold solvents. After 

 this treatment the solubility of the protein in 

 aqueous solutions is found to be greatly increased, 

 and the product precipitated by addition of excess 

 of alcohol contains only slight amounts of lipoids. 

 The protein obtained by this method contains phos- 

 phorus and has always given a slight though defi- 

 nite reaction for iron. Whether extracted by dis- 

 tilled water or by salt solutions, the protein is not 

 precipitated upon dilution : the extract therefore 

 contains no true globulin. Treatment with weak 

 acetic acid yields an acid-precipitated and an acid- 

 soluble fraction. The evidence from fractional 

 heat coagulation and fractional salting out points 

 to the individuality of the protein, instead of the 

 presence of a mixture of nucleoprotein and globu- 

 lin. 

 Enzymes of the Central Nervous System: H. M. 



English and C. G. MacAethdr. 



