[The science of nutrition--between experiment and popular medicine in Sweden during the second half of the 19th century].

In 1886 a physiological laboratory was opened at the Karolinska institute in Stockholm and the same year Robert Tigerstedt was appointed as professor and head of the department. Tigerstedt started the following years physiological experiments about nutrion and he also gave a series of lectures concerning the physiological principles of nutrion. This can be seen as a stating point for the more particular investigations which was undertaken during the following decade by Tigerstedt himself and some of his students. Together with the medical chemists the physiologist participateted in the public debate about nutrion, the value of Justus von Liebig's meat extract, the price of different food stufs and other questions. The relations between the science of nutrition, agricultural interests and some popular health movements was complicated and the public debate anticipated the conflicts of interest which was to become more evident during the first half of the 20th century.