144 
Current  Literature. 
{Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
March,  1914. 
Studies  in  Carbohydrates,  The  Composition  and  Digesti- 
bility of  Wheat  Bread  and  Allied  Foods,  Gelatinization  of 
Starches. — In  this  paper,  by  Charles  H.  LaWall,  Ph.M.,  and  Sara 
Graves,  B.A.,  published  in  Part  2  of  the  Transactions  of  the  Wagner 
Free  Institute  of  Science  of  Philadelphia,  are  given  tabulated  observa- 
tions of  the  microscopical  characteristics  of  the  following  starches : 
Potato,  Maranta,  Sago,  Tapioca,  Sweet  Potato,  Corn,  Wheat,  Buck- 
wheat, Oat,  Rice,  Barley,  Pea  and  Bean  in  the  raw  state  and  after 
having  been  heated  in  water  to  370,  8o°,  and  ioo°  C.  respectively, 
and  also  after  having  been  subjected  to  these  several  temperatures 
for  a  period  of  30  minutes.  Gelatinization  points  for  the  various 
free  starches  as  well  as  in  pastes  made  from  the  crushed  materials 
would  indicate  that  in  the  crushed  material  the  gelatinization  points 
are  slightly  higher. 
Microscopic  studies  of  the  starch  as  found  in  bread  and  crackers, 
notably  in  Acme,  Freihofer,  Sharpless,  and  Jones  breads  and  in 
Exton,  Sunshine,  Educator  and  Uneeda  Crackers,  Rolls,  Pretzels, 
and  Matzoth  are  tabulated. 
Comparisons  of  the  analyses  of  the  several  breads  and'  crackers 
as  given  would  indicate  but  very  slight  differences  in  these  products. 
From  a  comparison  of  the  ten  tables  included  in  this  paper  it  is 
apparent  that  the  food  values  of  the  various  makes  of  bread  and 
crackers  vary  only  within  very  narrow  limits  and  that  these  varia- 
tions are  largely  due  to  temperature  differences. 
Philip  F.  Fackenthall. 
Pleads  for  Drug  Users. — A  plea  for  the  relief  of  drug  victims 
was  made  by  Dr.  Charles  A.  Towns,  of  New  York,  at  a  legislative 
hearing  in  the  New  York  Legislature  at  Albany  on  February  25,  on 
bills  designed  to  restrict  the  sale  of  habit- forming  drugs,  principally 
cocaine  and  its  derivatives.  A  feature  of  the  proposed  laws  is  a  pro- 
vision designed  to  treat  those  who  obtain  drugs  in  violation  of  the  law 
as  victims  of  disease  and  not  as  criminals.  This  provision  would  give 
a  magistrate  authority  to  commit  habitual  users  of  drugs  to  hospitals 
or  sanatoriums  instead  of  prison. 
