44 Notes from the Physiological Laboratory 



A STUDY OF THE NUTRITIVE VALUE OF 

 BRANNY FOODS. 



FROM an economic stand-point the question of the 

 nutritive value of bran is one of great importance, 

 for the removal of this portion of the wheat implies 

 a loss of from 17 to 20 per cent, in the weight 

 of the grain. In spite of this loss, which neces- 

 sarily renders white bread more expensive than that 

 made from whole wheat-flour, even the poorest in- 

 habitants of most civilized countries where bread is 

 not the staple food, insist upon eating the bread 

 made from the finer grades of flour. A tendency 

 so widespread as this would apparently indicate the 

 unconscious summation of the experiences of many 

 generations, and go far toward proving the pro- 

 priety of such a selection. 



The use of flour representing the entire wheat- 

 grain has, however, been long and ably advocated ; 

 the reasons given for the retention of bran being 

 that its removal entails the loss of, 



