DIETARY STUDY AT THE BIBLE NORMAL COLLEGE. 1902. 



By Bertha M. Terrill, 

 Professor of Home Economics, Hartford School of Religious Pedagogy. 



INTRODUCTION. 



In February, 1902, the students of the Bible Normal College, situ- 

 ated then in Spring-field, Mass. (now in Hartford, Conn,, and affiliated 

 with the Hartford Theological Seminary and designated School of 

 Religious Pedagogy), voted to sav:e a sum of monej^, which they desired 

 to raise for a special object, ))y reducing the cost of their table board. 

 They had been paying %?> per week for table board at the time, or very 

 nearl}' 48 cents per person per da}^ which of course included the cost 

 of fuel, preparation, and service, estimated to be 10.6 cents per person 

 per da3\ Learning that it has been found possible to provide a balanced 

 and nourishing diet for 10 cents per man per day for the raw food, 

 they entered eagerly into an experiment with a diet to cost that amount 

 for food materials only, the cost of preparation, etc. , to remain the 

 same as before, making the total cost of the daily food as served 20.6 

 cents per person, or 22.4 cents less than their ordinary diet. There 

 were 30 students interested in this project, and it was planned to con- 

 tinue the investigation three days, as this would suffice to save the $20 

 desired. 



It was believed that the results of a dietary study of the family 

 during this period would be of some value, as showing some of the 

 possibilities of a practical application of the results of nutrition inves- 

 tigations. The meals provided were enjoyed, and at the end of three 

 days, although the desired sum had been saved and there was no longer 

 this incentive, all the persons concerned were sufficiently interested in 

 the trial to ask to have it continued three daJ^s longer when they 

 learned that the results for sui-h a period would be of considerable 

 more value from a scientific standpoint than those of a study carried 

 on for three days only. The details of the investigation are given 

 herewith. 



METHODS. 



The method of conducting the investigation was essentially the same 

 as that usually followed. After a study of the available food supply 

 and the cost of food in the local market, menus were prepared which 

 it was believed would be fairly satisfactory and which would fulfill 



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