974 



EXPEEIMENT STATION RECORD. 



period the subject walked 20 to 22 kilogrammeters per day. The diet contained only 

 a small quantity of protein, the amount being just sufficient for the days in which 

 no work was performed. On the other days the amount of nitrogen-free material 

 was increased. During the work period the nutrients were much more thoroughly 

 assimilated than during the days in which the subject did not work. When no work 

 was performed there was a loss of nitrogen. On the other days there was a gain in 

 nitrogen and a loss of fat. 



Principles of nutrition and nutritive value of food, W. O. Atwater ( U. S. 

 Dept. Agr., Farmer's Bui. 14^, pp. 48, dgms. -?).— The chemical composition and uses 

 of food are discussed, as well as digestion, assimilation, excretion, dietary studies and 

 standards, cooking of food, errors in food economy, and related topics. This bulle- 

 tin is designed as a summary of available information on these toi:)ics with special 

 reference to the results obtained in the Department of Agriculture intestigations and 

 the closely related work of the agricultural experiment stations. 



Nutrition investigations among fruitarians and Chinese at the California 

 Agricultural Experiment Station, 1899-1901, M. E. Jaffa {U. S. Dept. Agr., 

 Office of Experiment Stations Bui. 107, pp. 43, pi. 1). — Dietary studies are reported 

 with a family of so-called fruitarians who lived almost exclusively upon raw fruits 

 and nuts, as well as similar studies of Chinese performing different amounts of mus- 

 cular work. The digestibility of the fruitarian diet was also studied, as well as the 

 income and outgo of nitrogen with one of the subjects. The following table shows 

 the amounts of nutrients consumed per day by the fruitarians and the Chinese, as 

 well as the cost of the diet: 



Dietary studies of fruitarians and Chinese — Amounts consumed per person per day. 



Fruitarians: 



Woman, 33 years old 

 Woman, 30 years old 



Girl, 13 years old 



Boy, 9 years old 



Girl, 6 years old 



Girl, 7 years old 



Chinese: 



Dentist's family 



Laundry association. 

 Truclc-farm laborers. 



Cost. 



Protpin F'lt Carbohy- Fuel 



iTotem. tAi. drates. value. 



Cents. 

 23.7 

 17.2 

 19.0 

 19.9 

 17.0 



16.4 

 21.0 

 19.7 



Grams. 

 33 

 25 

 26 

 27 

 24 

 40 



115 

 135 

 144 



Calories. 

 1,300 

 1,040 

 1,235 

 1,255 

 1,190 

 1,385 



2, 705 

 3, 580 

 4,100 



In the case of the Chinese, the proportion of rice in the diet was especially studied, 

 and the amount of this cereal eaten was compared with the amounts of wheat flour 

 and other carbohydrate foods in ordinary dietaries. Concerning the Chinese diet- 

 aries, the following statements were made: " The Chinese studied, who are l^elieved 

 to be fairly representative of Chinese residents in California in similar employment, 

 did not, as is often supposed, live almost entirely upon a vegetable diet. Indeed, 

 they approached no nearer to such a diet than does the average American, who ha-i 

 no thought of doing without animal food. The diet was varied and the dietaries 

 were well balanced, approaching quite closely to the commonly accepted dietary 

 standards. Many of the foods eaten were unfamiliar to most Americans, but never- 

 theless can not be regarded as other than wholesome and nutritious. 



"The Chinese dietary is commonly believed to be very inexpensive and limited 

 in amount. As shown by these studies, it was quite cheap, but was neither scanty 

 nor inferior. 



"Eice on an average constituted between one-half and one-third of the total food 

 consumed, and held much the same relation to the total food of the Chinese as do 

 bread and other cereals, starches, etc., to the total food of the ordinary American 

 family." 



