266 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [36] 
of flesh ; and, third, in the deterioration of the quality of the flesh which, 
in the lean fish, is more watery and considerably less valuable, pound 
for pound, than the flesh of the same fish in good condition. Thus the 
flesh of spent salmon is rated in the last column at 85, while that of fat 
salmon came up to 108. There is in this a strong argument in favor of 
legislation against the capture of fish out of season. In general the 
fatter fish are more valuable than the leaner, pound for pound, because » 
they have more nutritive material and less water. 
RELATIVE NUTRITIVE VALUES OF FISH AND OTHER FOODS. 
The above table will help us to a very fair idea of the comparative 
composition of some of our more common animal foods. 
Looking down the first column we see that while medium beef con- 
tains 72 per cent. of water, milk contains 874 per cent. Roughly speak- 
ing, beefsteak is about three-fourths, and milk seven-eighths, water. A 
pound of beefsteak would thus contain four ounces of solids, and, if we 
assume a pint of milk to weigh a pound, a quart would foment four 
ounces of solids also; that is, a pound of steak and a quart of milk con- 
tain about the same weight of actual nutrients. But we know that for 
ordinary use the pound of beefsteak is worth more for food than the - 
quart of milk. The reason is simple. The solids of the lean steak are 
nearly all albuminoid, while those of the milk consist largely of fats and 
of milk-sugar, a carbohydrate. i 
The figures in the last column are intended to show how the foods 
compare in nutritive value, ‘“medium beef” being taken as a standard. 
They are computed by ascribing certain values to the albuminoids and 
fats, and taking the sum in each case for the value of that particular 
food. Theratio here adopted, which assumes one pound of albuminoids 
to be equal to three pounds of fats and five pounds of carbohydrates, is 
that assumed by prominent German chemists.* 
Taking medium beef at 100, the same weight of milk comes to 23.8; 
mutton, medium, to 86.6; fat pork, 116, and so on. The samples of fish 
run from flounders, 65, to smoked hérring, 163; while the European 
dried cod is rated at 346. Thus we have for example the following 
valuations for flesh, free from bone, skin, shell, and other refuse— 
FISH. 
Oe wWeM MOL nase « cepicos acs cise 163.4 (Sad... 5. cerclere la eee scene eo mee 
Saltimackerelii22. sos... 1. SS e154 Mackerel. Ussher ORG) 
BON CICOMM ss a2 scm srowce nein) LA Bil eRed snappereen. a. acaceite se oe se ae Onna 
Dalticodeaweceaslececccee cs -- os. -- LOS TOM DINO tShisccs cctee serene eee ee ee COe ae 
Salmonees. scccececeecccocles coteee LOM9 || ISUEIPEGIDASS «chu t ee cera eee 80. 4 
@aunedisalmons:.:22.5..<2...5..., 1072.) Haddocks... 2) ce ee eee 74.9 
Spanish mackerel! sf.200 0 acd LCs OdCad eet... 1cc. sc fumes seems 69. 1 
White fish.. See cieieiaciae\si- i= Saison LO FO. ELOUN GOL baat aicc «i tretse eee ee eee - 62.4 
INVERTEBRATES. 
Oysters, Blue Point... .)<--<--i-<---- 44.3 | Oysters, Norfolk: 32 o...,.....2-8eenes 22.0 
Oysters, “Cove” or *‘ canned” ..-..- 3952) POCA OPS cclacie = sole cettes se eee OL 
Oysters, Hast River. 3s-.)/5 5-55-52 3156 ongiclams 238 ite ee sso kceeatee 38. 0 
Oysters, Virginia (transplanted) ... 26.1 | Round clams -..................2.- 32.6 
Mobsters. ccesacmcetteec ceeeeeeree 62. 0 
*E. g., Konig, Zeitschrift fiir Biologie, 1876, 497. 
