DIGESTIBILITY OP SOME NUT OILS. 3 



previous paper 1 and in amounts sufficient to supply all the subjects 

 for the entire experimental period. In order to mask the presence 

 of the large quantity of fat and to secure a blancmange which would 

 be of uniform color and flavor for all experiments, thus avoiding 

 as far as possible any psychic effects, a caramel solution was added 

 to the blancmange during its preparation. 2 



The accessory foods which the diet contained in addition to the 

 blancmange and which were selected because they supplied a mini- 

 mum of fat, were wheat biscuit, oranges, and sugar. In case the 

 subjects so desired, they were permitted to take tea or coffee, without 

 milk or cream, with their meals. All constituents of the diet ex- 

 cept the tea or coffee were eaten cold. 



The feces resulting from the diet under consideration were identi- 

 fied by means of charcoal taken in gelatin capsules with the first 

 meal of the test period and with the first' meal following the test 

 period. The feces were collected in weighed glass containers and 

 dried in an electric oven regulated to maintain a temperature of 

 95° G, pulverized and analyzed. The urine was not collected or 

 analyzed, and no attempt was made to maintain a nitrogen equi- 

 librium, since in this investigation attention was centered on the 

 digestibility of the fats. 



The customary three-day or nine-meal test period was judged to 

 be of sufficient duration to permit of satisfactory analytical results 

 and still not so long as to become monotonous. No record of the 

 body weights of the subjects was kept, but the men were expected 

 to submit a report of their physical condition during the interdiet 

 periods as well as during the experimental periods. As they re- 

 ported being in normal physical condition throughout the investiga- 

 tion their reports will not be referred to in detail. 



SUBJECTS. 



Men between 20 and 40 years of age, of normal health and appetite, 

 served as subjects for this investigation. With one exception, they 

 were all students and, while thej were mainly engaged in mental 

 activities, their exercise was enough to make their energy require- 

 ments considerably in excess of those persons with sedentary occu- 

 pations. They had all had previous experience in such experimental 

 work and fully appreciated the necessity for accuracy in carrying 

 out the directions given, saving uneaten portions of food, collecting 



'TJ. S. Dept. Agr. Bui. 310 (1915). 



2 Recently Plaisanee and Monseh (Jour. Home Econ., 9 (1917), No. 4, p. 167) have 

 reported that when caramel is prepared hy heating sugar at temperatures of 180° C. and; 

 200° C. from 0.02 per cent to 0.09 per cent of furfurol is formed. The authors further 

 state that if the caramel is subsequently cooked in the presence of water the furfurol is, 

 removed, which perhaps may explain the absence of any toxic effects resulting from. the. 

 use of caramel in. the preparation of the blancmange. 



