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The relationship of maximal power output (VO2 max) to leg muscle plus bone) volume (LV) has been analysed in African children suffering from malnutrition and severe anaemia and in a group of rural adult Africans engaged in prolonged, active daily work. The results are examined in relation to 'normal' healthy active (but not in training) African ? s and ? s aged 7-35 years. The analysis clearly demonstrates that the association between VO2 max and LV is not causal; the effects of increased habitual activity and anaemia show that the two parameters can be varied independently. The effect of habitual activity on the VO2 max : LV relationship is essentially additive, whereas the effect of anaemia is multiplicative. However in malnutrition, the relationship remains unchanged; VO2 max decreases paripassu with the reduced leg (muscle plus bone) volume. Iron therapy produces an increase in VO2 max) towards normal values without a concomitant change in LV. The results give a clearer understanding of the relationship between 'active' muscle mass and aerobic power output on the bicycle ergometer and could be used as a basis for clinical diagnosis in the industrial and medical fields, particularly for cases of debilitating disease which have an effect on physiological performance and effort intolerance. The data at present cannot be applied to men and women over 35 years of age.

1. Body weight changes from day-to-day have been recorded in 140 young soldiers. A total of 2087 weight changes were examined, and 32% of these represented changes of 0.5 kg or more; on 6.2% of all occasions the change was 1.0 kg or more. 2. There were significant correlations between change in body weight and food intake, and also with energy expenditure. Of the large weight changes (0.5 kg or more) 11% were associated with days of exceptionally high or exceptionally low levels of activity; 7% were associated with days when food intake was unusually large or small. 3. On occasions when fluid intake and urine volume were measured, there was a significant correlation between fluid balance (fluid intake less urine volume) and weight change. 4. The weight of faeces varied from 75 to 210 g. It is concluded that irregularity of defaecation can be only a minor cause of weight irregularity.

1. The arm area of the baboon's precentral motor cortex was stimulated by brief surface-anodal pulses, and the post-synaptic potentials elicited in contralateral forelimb motoneurones were studied by intracellular recording.2. Strong cortical stimuli elicited a rapid series of excitatory and, in some cells, inhibitory post-synaptic potentials (EPSPs and IPSPs respectively). Comparisons with the simultaneously recorded response of the pyramidal tract indicated that these post-synaptic potentials were due to a repetitive discharge of fast pyramidal fibres. Thus, the later synaptic events were mostly due to a repetition of the early monosynaptic EPSP and early IPSP respectively.3. Inhibition was seen more often in cells whose monosynaptic EPSP had a small maximal size than in those whose monosynaptic EPSP was larger. The net depolarization produced by a strong cortical stimulus was related to the maximal size of the early monosynaptic EPSP.4. In the Discussion, an interpretation is suggested for previous findings concerning the spinal distribution of late synaptic effects elicited by cortical stimulation.