298 THE FOOD OP THE TASMANIAN ABORIGINES. 



keep the metabolic equilibriiim it seems, however, neces- 

 sary that the ration of Proteids (nitrogeneous food) to 

 the non-nitrogeneous food (carbo-hydrates and fats) 

 should be i .-3.5 in the minimum and i :4.5 in the maxi- 

 mum. We will now see how far the diet of the Aborigines 

 answers the above requirements. 



We will return to the original estimate, and assume 

 that while on the coast the average consumption was 50 

 oysters per day per individual. The average weight per 

 oyster may be taken at y^ ounce, four oysters to go to 

 the ounce; 50 oysters weigh therefore 123^ ouncps — 35/1 

 grams, (i). They contain therefore — 



Grams. (2) 



Water 308 



Protein 21 j 



Fats 4 I ,. , 



Carbo-hvdrates 13 , 45-7 solids. 



Salts 7 ) 



In order to obtain the necessary 130 grams Protein, 

 6.12 X 50zr=3o6, say 300 oysters, weighing 2,166 grams.=^ 

 494 lbs. in the aggregate, had to be consumed. These 

 oysters would contain — 



Grams. 

 Water 1,850 



Protein 130.00 \ 



Fat 25.74 [ 



Carbo-hydrates 78.54 



276.46 solids. 



Salts 42.48 J 



We therefore see that though oysters contain a re- 

 markably high percentage of carbo-hydrates for animalic 

 food, the deficiency of the necessary quantity is — 



325 grams in the carbo-hydrates 

 58 grams in the fats. 



If this deficiency be made good on an exclusive 

 oyster diet, about 30 times the above quantity, viz., 1,500 

 oysters, weighing about 1 1 kilogram, that is to say more 

 than 24 lbs., would have to be consumed per day by one 

 individual. It is obviously absurd to assume that this 

 was possible, but even if it were possible there would be 



(i) Even this is perhaps too high an estimate. 

 (2) Omitting decimals. 



