688 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



In the digestion experiments the results obtained with the different subjects were, 

 on the whole, very uniform. On an average 85.3 per cent of the protein, 97.4 per 

 cent nf the fat, 98 per cent of the carbohydrates, and 88.4 per cent of the ash of the 

 fond were digested, and 92.6 per cent of the energy of the diet was made available. 



Considered as a whole, the results agree quite closely with the average values 

 obtained in a large number of American experiments made under widely varying 

 circumstances. The authors note that, as has been observed in other experiments, 

 when corrections for metabolic products obtained by the pepsin method are intro- 

 duced, the coefficients of digestibility of protein are higher than when the corrections 

 are obtained by the ether, alcohol, and limewater method. In both cases the cor- 

 rected values are higher than those not c< irrected. During the digestion experiments 

 it was found that animal foods furnished from about 33 to 50 per cent of the protein 

 and from about 20 to nearly 50 per cent of the energy of the diet. Baked beans fur- 

 nished from 20 to 33 per cent of the total protein and from 10 to 14 per cent of the 

 total energy of the diet. 



Dietary studies at the Government Hospital for the Insane, Washington, 

 D. C, II. A. Pratt and R. D. Milner ( U. S. Dept. Agr., Office of Escperimeni Stations 

 Bid. 150, pp. 170, pis. 2). — The investigations reported cover 22 dietary studies with 

 patients and 4 with officers and attendants at the Government Hospital for the 

 Insane. 



In the case of the patients the food eaten on an average furnished 90 gm. protein 

 and 2,704 calories of energy per man per day. In the case of the employees studied, 

 the average diet furnished 123 gm. protein and 3,968 calories of energy. These 

 amounts agree fairly well with the commonly accepted dietary standards for men per- 

 forming similar amounts of work, and with wdiat has been found in other institutions. 

 During this investigation much attention was paid to recording data concerning waste 

 and suggestions were made for lessening the waste and improving the diet. 



"Waste can not be entirely avoided; more or less is inevitable; but it can be kept 

 at a minimum. It is possible, even in large institutions, to provide for the utilization 

 of food so that the losses shall be small. This can be accomplished by a better under- 

 standing of the nutritive values of different foods and of the demands of people for 

 nourishment, and by improvements in the methods of preparing, cooking, and serv- 

 ing the food. Under such conditions it would be possible to provide a palatable, 

 attractive, and nutritious diet at minimum cost. That reduction of cost was possible 

 was demonstrated in the course of the studies here reported. . . . 



"These investigations are interesting as affording data for use in determining diet- 

 ary standards and also have a decided practical value, since the knowledge gained 

 by a study of food conditions made it possible to suggest improvements in the insti- 

 tution diet which were immediately carried out, with the result that a considerable 

 saving was possible without in any way lowering the quality of the diet." 



In general, it was found that the food provided at the institution studied was 

 abundant, of good quality, and well prepared and served. A brief account of this 

 investigation has already been noted (E. S. R., 15, p. 703). 



Cost of living and retail prices of food ( U. 8. Dept. Com. and Labor, Ann. Rpt. 

 Cornr. Labor, IS (1903), pp. 8G5, charts 2). — The present paper contains articles on 

 the cost of living and on the retail prices of foods in the United States. 



Cost of living (pp. 13-631). — The statistics on the cost of living presented herewith 

 are based upon data gathered in 25,440 families representing 124, 108 persons living 

 in the principal industrial centers of 33 States, including the District of Columbia. 

 In the case of 2,567 families the data are presented in full, as there are reasons for 

 believing that in these cases the data were especially satisfactory. These investiga- 

 tions have been previously noted from a brief summary (E. S. R., 15, p. 493). 



Retail pi-ices of food (pp. 633-853). — The statistics presented are based on a total of 

 5,302 schedules or statements of prices secured from 814 retail merchants for the years 



