of the University of Pennsylvania. 63 



A study of the nutritive relations of a given food 

 may be approached from three sides: First, from 

 that of the exact chemical composition of the food, 

 a knowledge absolutely essential to any scientific 

 scheme of diet. Second, from that of the various 

 excretions of the individual or animal upon the 

 diet in question ; and, third, from the more clinical 

 stand-point of study of the effects exerted by a given 

 diet upon the growth and nutritive processes of the 

 organism under observation. After an examination 

 of branny food in the light of the first two methods, 

 we attempted its study by the third. To this end 

 six young pigs of the same litter, and all in fair 

 health, were weighed and placed under the same 

 conditions in pairs in three separate bins. Those in 

 the first bin daily received bread especially made 

 from whole wheat-flour, in amount corresponding to 

 one-fourth pound of dry bread each. To those in 

 the second bin was given a corresponding amount of 

 bread made from wheat whose three external coats 

 only had been removed. The pigs in the third 

 bin received the best white bread in amount cor- 

 responding to the standard above mentioned. A 

 sufficient (fixed) quantity of water was given twice 

 daily. The following table shows the weight of 

 eacli pair at the beginning of the observation, and 



