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Data obtained in a study of chemical composition of tissues in malnourished pre-school children are reported. In most cases, muscle and skin show an increase in total content of water, sodium and chloride. These changes are less striking but persist during "dehydration" judged on clinical grounds. The content of potassium in muscle was slightly to moderately decreased particularly in clinically edematous children. Edematous patients also had a markedly decreased intracellular concentration of potassium. In general, no correlation between intracellular concentration of sodium and potassium was found in muscle. Muscle obtained shortly before death or immediately after death frequently showed a marked shift of water and sodium into the intracellular compartment. A low ratio of concentration of potassium to noncollagenous nitrogen as compared to normals generally was observed. The skins of subjects without clinically demonstrable edema had comparable amounts of water but less fat per unit of dry fat-free solids than those of children with pitting edema. No particular correlation was found between overhydration and increase in content of the ("excess") chloride of the non-extracellular phase.

Absorption and retention of nitrogen from a typical poor Mexican diet BY F. GOMEZ, R. RAMOS-GALVAN, J. CRAVIOTO (Received 28 M a y 1956-Revised 26 February 1957 Variously known by such names as kwashiorkor (Africa), shibi gachaki (Japan), protein malnutrition (WHO), Mehlnahrschaden (Germany), chronic severe malnutrition is one of the most prevalent pathological conditions suffered by children living in underdeveloped countries. Surveys carried out in different parts of the world have shown that the diets of such children are very similar, not only in their nutritional value, but also in the foodstuffs actually eaten. A typical dietary history is as follows: (I) prolonged breast feeding on an inadequate lactation; (2) improper weaning with cereals (especially corn (maize) meal cooked by the action of quicklime), beans and peppers; ( 3 ) lack of milk, meat, fish and eggs after weaning. That is to say the diet after weaning is low in calories, fats and proteins, high in carbohydrates, and contains insufficient amounts of vitamins and minerals. The intake of most of the children meets no more than 50% of the caloric, and from 20 to 60% of the protein, requirement. Fats, usually vegetable fats, are consumed in amounts one-third below normal (Lozoya-