EPIDEMIC POLIOMYELITIS.

615 the public by their many advisers NUTRITIVE VALUE OF BUTTER SUBSTITUTES. in the newspapers and elsewhere. And yet a large AN important point in connexion with the comnumber of persons by choice drink no sugar in their parative dietetic values of butter and butter subtea, and some, perhaps fewer, omit it from coffeestitutes is raised in an interesting paper on the also. Many, too, have voluntarily forgone it assubject appearing in the September number of the "war economy," and we have not Jonrnal a form of of Physiology by W. D. Halliburton and either class believes that it has J. C. Drummond. For the heard that vet purposes of the investisuffered in health thereby, as many believe gation the butter substitutes were divided broadly that they have done through eating " war bread." into three classes as follows : (1) Animal-fat The temporary shortage of tea with which we margarines (the higher-priced margarines) ; (2)’) appear to be threatened will cause far more in- vegetable-oil margarines (the cheaper forms of convenience to all than voluntary abstinence from margarine) ; and (3) nut butter, a class of sugar in it, but may have an indirect advantage product forming a comparatively insignificant through compelling an economy in the latter which fraction of the butter substitutes consumed in many housekeepers will welcome. In respect of this country, and which the authors state is sugar, however, and of tea alike, we urge upon all prepared exclusively for the use of vegetarians cheerful acquiescence in deprivations which are and consequently has a limited sale. The experitemporary only and are inevitable. Our population ments were made on rats, but the belief issuffer in a country which flourished and grew expressed that the results have a direct bearing strong long before either tea or sugar was in upon the dietary of the growing child. This belief general use, and which only in a very recent period is, of course, well founded, since experiments on of its existence has adopted the former as a national rats have been fruitful in indicating particularly beverage. the importance of the presence of accessory growth substances in the dietary. As the net result oftheir investigations the authors conclude that (1) the EPIDEMIC POLIOMYELITIS. jfat-soluble accessory growth substance (vitamine) is. THE central facts in the bacteriology of polio- present in beef-fat and " oleo-oil," and is present myelitis have not seriously been called in question,in margarines prepared upon such a basis. Such ] the authors consider, are nutritively though the claims of certain streptococci to be margarines, regarded as the specific cause of the disease have1the equivalent of butter. (2) Coconut oil, cottonbeen urged with some insistence by several investi-seed oil, arachis oil, and hydrogenated vegetable gators. These streptococci are frequently found inoils contain little or none of this accessory subthe central nervous tissues in cases of the diseasestance, and hence margarines prepared with a basis as seen in man or as artificially produced in Iof these fats have not an equal nutritive value to, monkeys. Recent work seems to show that these1that of butter. (3) Nut butters prepared from organisms must be regarded as secondary infec- crushed nuts and vegetable fats are similarly not tions, since they are unable to produce the lesions equal to butter; while (4) lard substitutes prepared of poliomyelitis or to protect against infection byfrom vegetable oils are equal to lard in their the filtrable virus of that disease, nor do theynutritive value, but both alike are destitute of the differ from streptococci isolated from cases offat-soluble accessory substance. In a well-balanced sepsis. Interesting researches on the delicacy ofdiet the deficiencies pointed out may not be a the relation which exists between infection and serious matter, as so many articles of food carry alterations in the meninges and choroid plexus haveaccessory substances, and so a compensation is been recorded by Flexner and Amoss. The slight obtained. Curiously enough, this compensation alteration which is caused by lumbar puncture and is found in the present war bread, as was the injection of such physiological fluids as monkey pointed out in our columns last week. Thus, while the Government regulation bread contains. or horse serum, isotonic salt solution, Ringer’s and Locke’s solutions, promotes infection with the virus less starch than wheat flour, it is decidedly of poliomyelitis which has been introduced into richer in every other constituent, and particularly the blood or subcutaneous tissues. or swabbed on in regard to accessory growth substances and phos-The importance of a balanced diet is the nasal mucous membrane. Even so minute a phorus. disturbance as the substitution of the cerebro- again emphasised in an admirable pamphlet on spinal fluid of one monkey for that of another may, "Food and How to Save It," by Dr. Edmund in some instances, promote infection, as does also I. Spriggs, published last week by His Majesty’s. simple lumbar puncture if attended with the Stationery Office. This consists of a series of slightest haemorrhage. The same observers found articles already issued by the Ministry of Food, that the intrathecal injection of normal horse serum which are written in such simple terms as to afford a in protected monkeys caused the passage of protec- valuable and instructive guide to the general public. tive substances from the blood of the injected The fact, however, that some of the fats available animal into the cerebro-spinal fluid. There are still to the public are deficient in certain essentials. many lacunæ in our knowledge of the spread of should be carefully considered, as doubtless amongst epidemic poliomyelitis, but some light is thrown the poor the fat dietary is largely based on cheap upon the irregularities by the discovery that a vegetable oils. As Professor Halliburton and his material is present in the nasal and pharyngeal co-worker, Mr. J. C. Drummond, point out, it would mucosa of man which can inactivate or neutralise be truer economy even for the poor to purchase the active virus, and that this power is not found smaller quantities of an oleo-oil margarine if they in all cases or at all times in the same individual. cannot afford the luxury of real - butter. But we The poliomyelitic virus has been shown by Flexner should like to ask, Are vitamines so difficult to to survive in glycerol for at least six years. prepare as to exclude the practicability of adding Though much work has been done on the part them to accessory-free fats, so making up for the played by insects in the epidemiology of the deficiency ? This question might well receive the disease the evidence as to their importance is careful attention of our food authorities as well as. the manufacturers of inactive butter substitutes. still of the slightest,

impressed upon