442 HANDBOOK OF PHYSIOLOGY. 



the matter here, it may be said that any one in active work requires more 

 food than one at rest, and that children and women require less food 

 than do adult men. 



Of the various diet-scales which have been drawn out with the object 

 of supplying the proximate principles in the required proportions, the 

 foregoing is slightly modified from Moleschott : 



Dry Food N. c. 



Proteid . 120 grms. (4.232 oz.) supplying 18.88 grms. 64.18 grms. 



Fat . 90 " (3.174oz.) 70.20 " 



Carbohydrate 320 " (11.64 oz.) 146.82 



N. 18.88 C. 281.2 

 Salts . . 30 " (nearly 1 oz.) 

 Water . . 2800 " 



Two other diet-scales may be mentioned, which are often quoted, 

 viz: 



RANKE'S DIET-SCALE. 



Proteid 100 grms. 



Fats 100 " 



Carbohydrates 250 " 



Salts 25 



Water 2600 " 



PETTENKOFER & VOIT'S DIET-SCALE is as follows : 



Proteids 118 to 137 grms. 



Fats 56 to 117 u 



Carbohydrates 352 to 500 " 



Salts 



Water ..... . 2016 grms. 



The amount of the excreted carbon and nitrogen is not, of course, 

 always the same, it having been unfortunately proved possible, for example, 

 to subsist on 9 or 10 grms. of nitrogen and 200 grms. of carbon per 

 diem (the ordinary diet for needle- women in London, and the average of 

 the cotton operatives in Lancashire during the famine, 1862), the 

 amount of these elements excreted falling to figures corresponding to 

 such an income. Of course, upon such a diet the metabolism is low, 

 and persistent weakness must be the result. 



The 9 or 10 grms. of N in such a semi-starvation diet would be 

 equivalent to 58.5 to 65 grms. of proteids, whereas the amount of pro- 

 teids in some diets may be as high as 150-159 grms. per diem (English 

 navvies), or 165 gras. (Munich brewers' men). The English and 

 Bavarian soldier in time of peace consumes 126 grms. of proteid per 

 diem (4.4 oz. ). 



Not only the proteids but also the fats may vary ; the amount may be 

 as low as 56 grms. and as high as 117 grms. The carbohydrates may 

 vary from 200 grms. to 500 grms. and upward. Sometimes, with a 

 small proportion of fat, the carbohydrate may be correspondingly 

 increased to make up the necessary carbon. A .useful table after Payen 



