352 VITALITY AND EFFICIENCY WITH RESTRICTED DIET. 



weight has been frequently commented upon in other parts of this 

 report. The average loss per day for all men is, excluding Fre, 2.16 

 grams. 



The losses in nitrogen for Squad B are given in a similar manner in 

 table 72. These values also disregard cutaneous losses, which, probably, 

 in this case should not be disregarded, since we have no compensating 

 excess food to deal with. Although the nitrogen balance figures for 

 Squad B are given in detail in tables 59 to 70, it must be borne in 

 mind that the conditions are altogether different from those with Squad 

 A. Squad A had, to be sure, a reduced diet, but Squad B was given 

 what may be termed a greatly reduced diet, that is, a diet certainly 

 less than half of their normal diet maintenance requirements. No 



Table 72. — Nitrogen balance and energy available to body during -period of 



reduced diet — Squad B. 



[Averages per day, January 7 to 28, 1918.] 



complicating circumstances such as uncontrolled days enter into their 

 values. The total nitrogen in the food intake is extraordinarily low, 

 averaging 8.19 grams, and the average net energy 1,375 calories. With 

 but few exceptions, the daily values for the nitrogen balance for the 

 individual subjects are minus. (See tables 59 to 70.) Losses of 9 or 

 10 grams of nitrogen are occasionally noted and not infrequently 5, 6, 

 and 7 grams. In general, the losses are much more pronounced than 

 they were in any stage of the experiment with Squad A. The average 

 daily loss per man as given in table 72 is 3.10 grams of nitrogen. This 

 indicates the severity of the curtailment of the diet, for it is greater 

 than the average loss with Squad A which was but 2.30 grams per day. 

 If one considers the individual balance tables for Squad A with a 

 general view to the appearance of plus signs and the magnitude of 

 minus values in the nitrogen balance and compares these figures with 



