1. The amount of selenium in nationally representative samples of prepared and cooked groups of foods, and in a variety of raw individual foods, was determined fluorimetrically. 2. The average British diet was calculated to provide approximately 60 microgram Se/d, of which half was derived from cereals and cereal products and another 40% from meat and fish. Milk, table fats, fruit and vegetables provided little or no Se. 3. Individual foods which were particularly rich in Se (greater than 0.2 mg/kg) included 'bread-making' and wholemeal flours, kidney, fatty fish, brazil nuts (Bertholletia excelsa) and several other varieties of nut. In contrast, breast milk and other foods for babies (except some cereal products) contained little Se. 4. The total intake, and the amounts of Se in major foods, were lower than in most other studies. This is probably the result of the comparatively low levels of this element in British soil.

A nine year-old girl with acrodermatitis enteropathica developed typical clinical and biochemical features of zinc deficiency on two occasions while on an oral zinc supplement. On both occasions, these features responded immediately when she was treated with amphotericin B lozenges. Studies in vitro showed that amphotericin increases the permeability to zinc of pure lipid membranes containing cholesterol. We suggest that the antibiotic enhanced zinc absorption from the oral supplement thereby effecting resolution of the patient's zinc deficiency.

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