AMERICAN ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 13 August 1924, Page 2

AMERICAN ITEMS.

AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION. sriKNC K coni;*»:ss. FOOD AND STERILITY. OTTAWA, August 11. A telegram from Toronto says an interesting pronouiii-emeiit ill the discussion in the sectional sessions of the British Association for the Advancement of Science* was that of Professor Herbert Evans, of the University of Oa.lifornia. in which he claimed t.e have discovereil a mysterious component of diet wllicdi is essential for the performance of the icproductivc fund ion.

Professor Evans, reporting on Ids researches. in a symposium composed on viiaminos, said that synthetic food mixtures containing adequate amounts of sugar, fat. salts, and ) revioiislvknciwu vitaniines. will produce normal growth and apparent health in rodents nut they lead to the occurrence of s*,-.-rility. Wien '*.!;;• iiiuuiinu; ]\ve;valent in leaves, grains, and meals arc :i.!ded. I'ertilitv returns.

He -aid : "Sterility is a specific dietary disease*. It can be prevented or ciire'd by certain natural foodstuffs, and is not affected by others. |)r. E. .Mellandy, of London, claimed that phosphate's which had long been considered to be the <olitrollilig ami ißvs'.'irv fae-Hu lor tin; ]iri)|o'' growth of bieiu*. are really only of .secondary value. He said he perlormed experiments on this by varying ibex diet of dogs.

Aiuh'd interest was given to the activities of the world-famous scientists when the International Mathematical Congress, gathering for the first time on this side of the Atlantic, njtenocl its annual session congress. Ihe first meet ing reeugnisod the noik ot Canadian men of science hv choosing lie. C. .). Field (Toronto University) as President for the year. A further honour was bestowed on Canada by tlie selection of Protessor .T. L. Synge (Toronto) and Professor L. A’. King (McGill University of Montreal) as secretaries.