24 



binatioii meals explains the fact that a number of important classes of 

 food appear in quantities considerably below the average. For example, 

 separate orders of meats and cereals were eaten in about one-half the 

 average amounts, and dairv products, eggs, and breads in about 65 

 per cent of the average amounts. Besides combination meals, the only 

 articles chosen in quantities greater than the average for the ten men 

 studied were vegetables and beverages (chiefly coffee), both of which 

 were about 20 per cent above the average. On the basis of economy 

 so much coffee was not a wise selection, since its value as a source of 

 nutrients and energy is very small in proportion to the cost and due 

 chiefly to the milk and sugar which are added to it. In this dietary, 

 therefore, about 9.5 per cent of the total sum was expended for articles 

 yielding only about 1.5 per cent of the total digestible protein and 

 available energy. This is noteworthy when it is remembered that 9.9 

 per cent of the total outlay was for })readstutfs, which yielded 20 per 

 cent of the total protein and energy. 



For the first two periods, fall and winter, the rations were more 

 abundant than later, furnishing on an average 92.1 grams of digestible 

 protein and 3,019 calories of available energy, or 100 per cent and 113 

 per cent, respectively, of the values called for by the standard selected 

 for comparison. In period 3, however, the protein dropped to 78.9 

 grams and the energy to 2,743 calories (86 and 101 per cent, respec- 

 tively, of the standard), while the cost increased to 43.9 cents, or about 

 8.5 i>er cent more than the average for the first two periods. li is evi- 

 dent that, as compared with the subjects already noted, Subject C was 

 not getting a large return for his investment. He might have secured 

 the same amount of protein and energy if he had selected a larger 

 proportion of foods similar to those chosen by Subjects A and B. 



The chief reason for the tsudden drop in the nutritive value of the 

 ration of Subject C, in spite of the higher daily cost, is undoubtedly 

 to be found in the tendency to use meats and fruits — both relatively 

 expensive foods at Randall Hall — in place of combination meals. It 

 should be noted that in period 3 he obtained in 1 cent's worth of vegeta- 

 bles only about 0.8 of the protein and 0.6 of the energy that 1 cent's 

 worth of vegetables furnished in periods 1 and 2. Similarly, for the 

 same sum, the combination meals yielded only 0.7 to 0.8 as much as in 

 periods 1 and 2. Of the two conceivable causes of this condition 

 (higher relative cost and less wise choice of dishes during period 3), it 

 seems probable that higher cost was responsible for the lower value per 

 money unit of the combination meals and that a more liberal use of 

 green spring vegetables was responsible for the lower value of vege- 

 tables per money unit. In some measure, then, it appears that the 

 ration of Subject C during period 3 must necessarily have been lower 

 per money unit because the scale of prices had changed, and, conse- 



