23 



total food provided that was actually wasted was therefore somewhat 

 laro-er than is .shown b}' the tig'urcs in the last column of Table 35. 



The proportions of rejected food noted in this study do not differ 

 greatly from what has been found in similar studies elsewhere, and in 

 comparison were by no means excessive. Nevertheless, a part of it 

 could have been prevented. In the first place, where the conditions 

 of the patients are such as to unfit them for judging of their own 

 needs, the amount of food to be served to the individual must be 

 decided by the attendants, and the}^ could serve the different patients 

 in their charge in accordance with an estimate of their needs as based 

 to some extent on observations of their food consumption. It is 

 believed that, if judgment were thus exercised by the attendants serv- 

 ing the food, the amounts rejected in cases like the above would be 

 greatly lessened. 



This would result in more than a reduction of the amount of material 

 left on the plates by the patients, for with a better knowledge of the 

 amount of food needed it would be possible to regulate accordingly 

 the amounts sent from the kitchen to the dining room, so that there 

 would be a corresponding decrease in the proportion of the food 

 remaining after the patients had been served. In this way a consid- 

 erable saving could have been made in the cost of feeding the patients 

 included in this study under the conditions then existing. 



A substitution of equally nutritious and better relished foods in 

 place of the cereal foods and stews rejected in such large quantities 

 could also have been made without increasing the cost of the diet. 

 Aside from these matters there seemed little need for other changes. 

 As regards the sul)stitution of cheaper foods of equal nutritive value 

 for those of higher cost, it is the impression of the observer that very 

 little could have been done in this particular case, the conditions in 

 this study being apparently very satisfactory in this respect. 



It may be stated that the observer obtained very favorable impres- 

 sions regarding the cleanliness and wholesomeness of the food and the 

 variet}^ of the diet served. He was constantly in the kitchen during 

 the study and noticed that the kitchen utensils were clean, the dishes 

 were thoroughly washed, and the floors, tables, etc., were in good con- 

 dition. Nearly every article served to the patients was tasted by the 

 cooks, to learn whether it was properly cooked and seasoned. While 

 the diet was on the whole rather simple, there was considerable change 

 in the staple foods from day to day, and accessories such as fresh 

 fruits and vegetables in their season were used. It appeared upon 

 inquiry that nearly all of the patients who were competent to judge 

 were well satisfied with their food, very few complaints being made 

 regarding it. 



