56 REVIEWS. 
and their fate in metabolism; (3) to determine the food require- 
ments of the body under different conditions; (4) to ascertain 
the functions of the individual chemical elements in nutrition 
and the quantities in which they should be supplied by the food; 
(5) to consider the criteria by which we should judge the nutri- 
tive value and economy of articles of food. 
Doctor Sherman is an expert in this subject, and has drawn on 
many sources and several sciences for his facts. The result of 
recent work on the polypeptides by Emil Fischer and others 
has been concisely treated in so far as it affects the subject of 
foods. In the physiological and nutrition experiments quoted, 
besides the results, sufficient information is given in many 
cases to enable the experiments to be repeated or to suggest 
lines on which to carry out further work. The tables of nutri- 
tion values of various foods will be found of considerable value, 
summarizing a great many facts in a small space. 
In some of these tables, there is a tendency to carry the ac- 
curacy of the expressed result beyond the accuracy of the data. 
For example: Considering the great variation in the ratio of 
edible to nonedible matter in such substances as Brazil nuts, 
fowl, ham, etc., it is useless to express the nutritive value to 
four significant figures. 
However, the book, as a whole, is an eminently readable one 
and will be found of great assistance to all who are called upon 
to solve problems of a dietetic nature. 
iB. RD: 
