BEVERAGES IN WAR-TIME 67 



utilized for potatoes or other crops. It is estimated 

 that this land would have produced 150,000 tons of 

 potatoes and 40,000 tons of oats. However, I do not 

 propose to take this into consideration in my calcula- 

 tions; the case does not need it. 



I have said that only 60 per cent of the barley can 

 be used to make bread. The miller would not neglect 

 the rest of it, however, but would use the 40 per cent 

 remaining (382,000 metric tons) as food for animals, 

 chiefly pigs. 



Now we have considered the debit side of the 

 ledger, what was expended from the general store of 

 food in order to make drink. Let us next consider the 

 credit side. What food value did we get in the form 

 of beer, remembering that alcohol has food value, and 

 that beer also contains a variety of starchy foods 

 which have some value, although it is not very ac- 

 curately known? I have grave doubts how far these 

 starchy bodies can be utilized by the human body, 

 but I give them their full value in the table to avoid 

 fruitless discussions on a point on which nothing is 

 definitely known. And again, I am not quite sure 

 as to the amount of alcohol contained in the beer; 

 it was said to be reduced from the former standard, 

 but I cannot say how far this was the general prac- 

 tice nor in what proportion it was lowered. I have 

 therefore taken 4.2 per cent of alcohol, which repre- 

 sents a fair average strength for the pre-war beer. 

 About half the food value of beer is assigned to the 

 alcohol it contains, the other half to the starchy 

 substances. 



In 1916, then, there were produced 26,000,000 

 barrels of beer, which, giving it the benefit of these 

 doubts, had a considerable food value. Along with 

 this there was formed in the process of brewing, as 

 fodder for animals, 283,500 metric tons of dry material, 



