SCIENCE 



Feiday, June 30, 1916 



CONTENTS 



The Alcohol Program of the Nutrition Lab- 

 oratory with special reference to Psycho- 

 logical Effects of Moderate Doses of Alcohol 

 on Man : Dr. Francis G. Benedict 907 



Cinchona as a Tropical Station for American 

 Botanists: Professor Duncan S. Johnson, 

 Professor Douglas Houghton Campbell, 

 Professor A. W. Evans, Dr. C. H. Parr, 

 Dr. Porrest Shreve 917 



University and Industry 919 



Dr. Ugo Schiff: Professor Wm. McPherson. 921 



Scientific Notes and News 922 



University and Educational News 925 



Discussion and Correspondence: — 



The Accepted Facts of Dynamics: Pro- 

 fessor L. M. HosKlNS. Electrical Action 

 and the Gravitation Constant: Dr. E. H. 

 Kennard. Gravitation and Electrical Ac- 

 tion: Dr. C. Davisson. Amiystoma not 

 Amhlystoma: Dr. M. W. Lyon, Jr. Centi- 

 grade versus Fahrenheit : Professor P. E. 

 Austin. Safety Razor Blades for Hand 

 Sectioning: Professor George J. Peirce. 925 



Scientific BooJcs: — 

 Peters and Knohel on Ptolemy's Catalogue 

 of Stars: Professor R. H. Tucker. Piper 

 and Beattie on the Flora of the Northwest 

 Coast : Professor LeRot Abrams 930 



Notes on Meteorology and Climatology: Db. 

 Charles P. Brooks 933 



Special Articles: — 

 A New Form of Phosphoroscope : Pro- 

 fessor Edward L. Nichols and H. L. 

 Howes. Scientific Queen Bearing : Charles 

 W. QuiNN 937 



Societies and Academies : — 

 The Biological Society of Washington : Alex- 

 ander "Wetmore, Dr. M. W. Lyon, Jr. The 

 Anthropological Society of Washington: 

 Dr. Daniel Polkmar 941 



HS8. inicaded for pablication and books, etc.. intended for 

 roview aheuld b< a«nt to Froftssor J. MoEeen Csttell, OarruoH- 

 on-Hsdion. N. Y. 



THE ALCOHOL PROGRAM OF THE 

 NUTRITION LABORATORY WITH 

 SPECIAL REFERENCE TO PSY- 

 CHOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF 

 MODERATE DOSES OF 

 ALCOHOL ON MANi 



Alcohol in not too large doses, taken by 

 the mouth, is undoubtedly burned in the 

 body and in this burning gives off heat 

 which replaces equivalent energy ordi- 

 narily derived from food or body sub- 

 stance. This has been absolutely demon- 

 strated by Professor Atwater and his asso- 

 ciates with the respiration calorimeter at 

 Wesleyan University, Middletown, Conn. 

 This scientific proof of the important role 

 that moderate doses of alcohol may play in 

 the human energy economy finds verifica- 

 tion in the masterly, statistical studies of 

 Armand Gautier in Paris, who has shown 

 that there are certainly several million peo- 

 ple who regularly receive in their daily diet 

 somewhat more energy in the form of alco- 

 hol than they do in the form of protein. 

 What has been demonstrated of the French 

 is probably true of many others. Thus we 

 see that a physiological study of alcohol is, 

 on abstract, scientific grounds, essential to 

 a complete understanding of the materials 

 regularly ingested which serve as the 

 sources of energy to the body. 



Although protein, fat and carbohydrates 

 have long been studied in a systematic 

 manner, alcohol in recent years has, in spite 

 of the agitation regarding its moral, eco- 

 nomical and sociological importance, re- 

 ceived but scant, irregular attention in a 

 relatively few scientific laboratories. With 

 regard to its physiological action there 



1 An address given before the New York Acad- 

 emy of Medicine on April 6, 1916. 



