52 



Scientific Proceedings (96). 



vulsions, since of six animals so treated only three suffered from 

 convulsions (and these suffering only one attack), while the other 

 three larvae never showed convulsions at all. 



But notwithstanding the favorable influence of milk upon the 

 convulsions, milk like Mg and Ca salts did not prevent the de- 

 velopment of permanent paralysis and permanent spasmodic 

 contractions of the muscles. 



Therefore, it must be pointed out again that the development 

 of the paralysis of the muscles, in the presence of the salts and in 

 the absence of convulsions, proves that tetany is due to a specific 

 toxic substance which is not antagonized by calcium, magnesium, 

 or milk. Furthermore, it appears that tetany (or at least some 

 of its symptoms) is due to the toxic action of this substance upon 

 the central nervous system, as indicated by the paralysis of almost 

 the entire muscular system. How far these nervous lesions are 

 responsible for the tetanic convulsions and how far the convulsions 

 are due to the deficiency of calcium, remains to be determined. 



32 (1407) 



The effect of heat, age and reaction on the antiscorbutic potency 



of vegetables. 



By Alfred F. Hess and Lester J. Unger. 



[From the Bureau of Laboratories, Department of Health, New 



York City.] 



The present communication is a continuation of experiments 

 on antiscorbutics previously reported. 1 It was found that it 

 required 35 gms. of the carrots used to feed our laboratory animals, 

 to afford protection against scurvy to a guinea-pig. After the 

 carrots had been cooked for three quarters of an hour, their 

 addition to the dietary proved insufficient to protect. This was 

 true even if the water in which they were boiled had been acidu- 

 lated by the addition of 10 per cent, of vinegar. The only dif- 

 ference noted in the latter test was a less marked loss of weight. 



A parallel test was carried out with carrots which had been 

 picked only a few days previous to the experiment. It was found 

 that, even subsequent to cooking, 35 gms. of these fresh carrots, 



1 Proceed. Soc. Exper. Biol. & Med., xv., pp. 82; 141; xvi., p. 1, 1918. 



