NATURE AND DESTINATION OF FOOD. 113 



From the information collected by Dr. Edward Smith for the Government, 1 

 it is ascertained that some people eat ten times more food, in point of nutri- 

 ment, than others, and that in whole classes of the community a difference 

 of one-half in the amount obtained by the lowest fed is common. From the 

 extended experiments which he has made on the amount of Carbon daily 

 eliminated by men iu good health during the middle period of life when at 

 perfect rest, it appears that it amounts to 7.9 oz., with the estimated exer- 

 tion of the middle and light laboring classes to 9.5 oz., and with the esti- 

 mated exertion of the hard laboring classes to 12.5 ounces. On an exami- 

 nation of the nature of the food actually consumed by these classes, it was 

 found that the proportion of Carbon present was approximately represented 

 by the above numbers ; indoor laborers, as cotton and silk operatives, needle- 

 women, and shoemakers, consuming about 10.5 oz., and agricultural laborers 

 in England, 13.2 oz. ; in Great Britain and Ireland, 14.1 oz. Hence it may 

 be stated that the adult body requires an average minimum daily amount 

 of Carbon of 9s to 10? ounces in the middle and light laboring classes, and 

 of 12i to 14 ounces in the ordinary hard laboring classes, that is from 25 to 30 

 grains per Ib. weight of the whole body. It is interesting to notice that the 

 infant consumes no less than 136 grains of Carbon for each pound of body 

 weight, a proportion three to four times greater than that actually obtained 

 by the poor in adult life. As regards the amount of Nitrogen, Dr. Smith's 

 observations show that about 200 grains of Nitrogen are used up daily in 

 the working of the body by the light laboring classes, whilst in the middle 

 and well-fed classes the total evacuation by all the excretions was 260 grains. 

 The actual amount obtained in food by the indoor classes was 183 grains, 

 and by the outdoor laborers in England 242 grains; and hence we may 

 place the requirements of the adult body daily at 200 grains with light occu- 

 pation, and 250 grains for ordinarily hardworking laborers, or from 1 to 1* 

 grain per Ib. of body weight. The proportion of Nitrogen to the body weight 

 consumed by the infant appears to be about six times greater than that of 

 the adult. The amount of mineral constituents including chlorine, phos- 

 phoric and sulphuric acids, potash, soda, lime, and magnesia daily required, 

 as estimated by the amount excreted, varies from about 200 to 600 grains. 

 Lastly, about 6 Ibs., or nearly live pints, of water per day are necessary with 

 moderate exertion and temperature. The following is a dietary furnished 

 by D. Smith, 2 which he considers may be taken as the substantial part of a 

 proper and moderate quantity of food for a man in good health with a good ap- 

 petite, and making a moderate degree of exertion : Breakfast. I pint of milk ; 

 i pint of water with coffee or tea ; bread, 4 oz. to 6 oz. ; butter, f oz. ; sugar, 

 f oz. ; bacon, 3 oz., or eggs, 4 oz., or cooked meat, 3 oz. Dinner. Cooked 

 meat, 4 oz. to 6 oz. ; potatoes, 8 oz. ; bread, 3 oz. to 4 oz. ; pudding, 8 oz. ; 

 cheese, $ oz. ; soup, 6 oz. ; water or beer, pint. Tea. Water with tea, f 

 pint; sugar, J oz. ; milk or cream, 2 oz. ; bread, 3 oz. ; butter, ^ to f oz. 

 fcuplx-r. Milk, f pint ; oatmeal, 1 oz., and bread 3 oz. to 4 oz., or eggs, 4 

 oz., or cooked meat, 3 oz., and bread, 3 oz. ; butter or cheese, 2 oz. ; water 

 or beer. 



69. The smallest quantity of food upon which life is known to have been 

 supported with vigor during a prolonged period, is that on which Cornaro 

 states himself to have subsisted ; this was no more than 12 oz. a day, chiefly 

 of vegetable matter, with 14 oz. of light wine, for a period of 58 years. There 

 is another well-known case (that of Thomas Wood, the miller of Billericay, 

 reported to the College of Physicians in 1767 by Sir George Baker), in which 



1 See Practical Dietary, 1864. p. 20. 



2 For numerous other dietaries, see Pavy, A Treatise on Food, 1874. 



