THE FOOD. 7 
tentatively recommended by the Association of American Agri- 
cultural Colleges and Experiment Stations,* viz.: 
Albumins, 
Simple tbe: 
; Albuminoids and allies. 
Pipltrogen com. | Protelds Modified | Compound, 
pounds | Collagens or gelatinoids 
Extractives, 
| : 
L Non-proteids | Amides, amido-acids, etc. 
It is not necessary for our present purpose to enter into any dis- 
cussion either of the properties of the proteids as a whole or of the 
differences between the different classes of proteids. One point, 
however, is of particular importance, namely, the elementary com- 
position of these bodies. As noted above, this has been found to be 
more variable than was supposed earlier. In particular the per- 
centage of nitrogen has been found to have a somewhat wide range. 
“Recent investigations with perfected methods show percentages 
of nitrogen in the numerous single proteid substances found in the 
grains ranging from 15.25 to 18.78. These are largest in certain 
oil seeds and lupines and smallest in some of the winter grains. 
Ritthausen,f a prominent German authority, concedes that the 
factor 6.25 should be discarded, and suggests the use of 5.7 for the 
majority of cereal grains and leguminous seeds, 5.5 for the oil and 
lupine seeds, and 6.00 for barley, maize; buckwheat, soja-bean, and 
white bean (Phaseolus) rape, and other brassicas. Nothing short 
of inability to secure greater accuracy justifies the longer contin- 
uance of a method of calculation which is apparently so greatly 
erroneous.” (Jordan.) 
Non-proteids——This term is used as a convenient designation 
for all the nitrogenous materials of feeding-stuffs which are not 
proteid in their nature. It is an abbreviated form of non-proteid 
nitrogenous bodies. The substances of this class found in plants 
are chiefly the organic bases, amides, amido-acids, and similar 
‘bodies which are produced by the cleavage of the proteid molecule 
under the action of digestive and other ferments or of hydrating 
agents. They appear to exist in the plant partly as intermediate 
stages in the synthesis of the proteids and partly as products of 
*U.S. Dept. Agr., Office of Experiment Station, Bul., 65, p. 117, 
f Landw. Vers. Stat., 74, 391. 
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