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Physical work tests making use of bicycle ergometry and dynamometry were performed on six groups of children and adults in Addis Ababa. The values of bicycle ergometer tests, as calculated per capita, were lower throughout than those earlier observed in Swedish and United States agemates but when related to body weight the values were higher (pupils from public school), equal (pupils from private school), or lower (air force cadets, shoe-factory workers).For the dynamometer tests reference values were available only for Swedish adults. The difference (in a negative direction) was small for the cadets, more pronounced for the shoe-factory workers.It was not possible to demonstrate any definite correlation between the results of the physical work tests and the nutritional status of the subjects or the quality of the diet as measured by a 24hr recall. It is striking that in spite of often very inadequate diets, the achievements were on the whole reasonably good. The implications of these findings with respect to the definition of various types of “requirements” warrant further discussion.

A dietary survey conducted among the Rift Valley Arsi of Ethiopia, focusing especially on the situation of the young child, has shown that major dietary deficiencies exist, especially with respect to intake of calories, vitamin A, and ascorbic acid. This is marked during the hungry season but is also noticeable during the harvest season. The deficiencies observed become more ominous when the increased demands caused by accumulated and continuous infections and parasitic diseases are considered.

The authors report a fatal case of essential pulmonary hemosiderosis in a 5 year old boy. The child showed typical signs of the disease with relapsing pulmonary attacks with hemoptysis and pronounced anemia of iron deficiency type. Huge amounts of hydrolyzable iron were found in the lungs.