Manchester Memoirs ; Vol, Ixii. (191 7), No. 5 13 



their original weights during 12 days with very great variations 

 below, the mice in this series simply with the Somatose omitted 

 remained at or above their original weights with very little ' varia- 

 tion, the rations being sufficient to keep them in good health. 



These figures shew therefore, first, that Somatose is certainly 

 not a food, and second, that it is not even a neutral body, so far as 

 its food value is concerned, but is really an irritant, causing gastric 

 disturbance and diarrhoea and yet this is the German super-food 

 intended to increase the weight and body capacity of English people 

 and especially invalids, at 25/4 per lb. 



I should have liked to try the effect of mixing Liebig's Extract 

 in Nitrogen equivalent in place of Somatose as a food, I 

 believe it would have proved beneficial instead of acting as a poison 

 like Somatose, but I learned that, to feed mice with any kind of 

 food and weigh them, was in contravention of the Vivisection Act, 

 and I therefore went no further. 



Before I became possessed of this knowledge I had made some 

 experiments which it might be interesting- to record as others, who 

 can obtain the necessary permission from the Home Secretary, 

 might follow them up. 



In this series of experiments I wished to find what effect on the 

 feeding of mice different starches would have when mixed with 

 Oats. I consequently took one heavy and one lighter mouse, 

 and fed each with 1 gramme of different raw starches mixed 

 with 3 grammes of Oats and 3i grammes of water. The starches 

 used were : — 



Maize. 



Potato. 



Rice. 



Sago. 



Tapioca. 



Wheat. 



The feeding with the above daily rations was continued for 17 

 days and the results are given briefly as follows : — 



1. Maize. The original weights of the two mice were 87.2 

 and 20. 1 gramme respectively. They both remained about the 

 same weight throughout the 15 days, but were a little above the 

 original weights. 



2. Potato Starch. The original weights were 79 and 12 

 grammes respectively. Both gained weight slightly during the first 

 nine days, on the 10th, 11th, 12th, and 13th days they both 

 gradually lost weight, and both died on the 13th day. They then 

 weighed 76 and 9 grammes respectively. 



