EXPERIMENTS WITH SOY BEAN MEAL AS A SUBSTI- 

 TUTE IN THE ARMY RATION. 



CAPT. ARTHUR W. DOX. 



The use of soy beans for human food has of late been the sub- 

 ject of a number of scientific investis:ations. The literature is 

 not available to the writer at the present time, hence will not 

 be discussed in this brief paper. The nutritive value of soy 

 beans has, however, been established, and a future for this com- 

 modity as an article of human food is almost certain. The 

 Chinese and Japanese have used soy beans for many years and 

 prepared them in quite a variety of ways. In our own country 

 little is known of soy beans except as a forag'e crop for cattle 

 and swine. 



While conducting- a food survey of the National Army, Na- 

 tional Guard and Aviation Camps in the Southern Department, 

 the writer has had opportunity to make a few tests of the suita- 

 bility of soy bean meal as a substitute in the army ration. In 

 view of the present movement toward the conservation of our 

 wheat supplies, suitable substitutes are being sought. On 

 "wheatless" days, com meal is eommonly used. It is Iniown, 

 however, that corn protein is inferior to that of wheat because 

 of its deficiency in certain amino acids. Soy bean protein, on 

 the other hand, is a more complete protein. 



The army ration prescribes eighteen ounces wheat flour, which 

 may be in part substituted by other cereals. Since the army 

 represents only one per cent of our total population, the saving 

 of wheat effected by observance of wheatless days in army camps 

 is comparatively small. However, many of the organizations 

 in these camps are observing; wheatless days. Other substitutes 

 in addition to corn are therefore desirable for the sake of va- 

 riety. 



The company messes in an army camp afford a splendid op- 

 portunity for such experiments. At each piess one hundred to 

 two hundred men are fed, all of them normal individuals with 

 good, healthy appetites. They have little opportunity for ob- 

 taining- food outside of the messes, except an occasional parcel 

 from their friends at home, a meal now and then in the neighbor- 

 ing town, and the candy and cookies purchased at the regimental 

 post exchanges. The men therefore eat what is served to them 



