674 NUTRITIVE INGREDIENTS AND VALUES OF THE FOOD WE EAT. 



tent of phosphorus : " The percentages of phos- 

 phorus in the analyses above reported are not 

 larger than are found, according to the best 

 analyses, in the flesh of other animals used 

 for food. The number of reliable determina- 

 tions of flesh in the latter are, however, small, 

 and it is, though very improbable, yet within 

 the range of possibility that a more complete 

 investigation of the subject might reveal a 

 smaller proportion of phosphorus in meats than 

 in fish. But, even if the fish were richer in 

 phosphorus, there is no proof that it would, on 



that account, be better for brain-food. The 

 questions of the nourishment of the brain and 

 the sources of intellectual energy are too in- 

 determinate to allow decisive statements, and 

 too abstruse for speedy solution in the preeent 

 condition of our knowledge." 



Oysters. From the same source we quote 

 similar statistics regarding oysters from various 

 localities. It should be observed, however, 

 that the analyses are as yet insufficient to sho\v x 

 how accurately these figures express the aver- 

 age composition of oysters of the kinds named : 



PROPORTIONS OF FLESH, OF LIQUIDS, AND OF TOTAL SHELL CONTENTS (FLESH AND LIQUIDS) 



IN SAMPLES OF OYSTERS. 



The actual nutrients in the samples of oysters were as follows : 



Placing the oysters in the order of the per- 

 centages of nutritive materials in the whole 

 sample, the arrangement will be as follows. 

 Some other invertebrates are appended for 

 comparison : 



PERCENTAGES OP NUTRITIVE MATERIALS IN WHOLE 

 SAMPLE, INCLUDING SHELL AND SHELL CONTENTS. 



Per cent. 



Oysters, Blue Point 8-57 



" Fair Haven 2-69 



" Providence River. 2' 53 



" Shrewsbury 2-55 



" East River 2'53 



" Rockaway 2-38 



" Buzzard's Bay 2'25 



" StonyCreek 1'87 



" StonyCreek 1'76 



" Staten Island 1'68 



" Potomac River 1-68 



" Rappahannock River 1'56 



" James River 1-37 



" Norfolk 0-96 



Long clams 7'77 



Round clams 3-88 



Lobsters 6" 80 



Crawfish 2-31 



Proportions of Nutritive Ingredients. Col- 

 umns two to six of the table of animal foods, 

 on page 672, show the proportions of water and 

 of actual nutrients protein, carbohydrates, 

 fats, and mineral matters in the several mate- 

 rials, and need no further explanation. We 

 may, however, note three important facts which 

 the figures illustrate: First, that, in general, the 

 fatter kinds of flesh have more solid dry sub- 

 stance and less water than the leaner ; second, 

 that the flesh of fish is, in general, more wa- 

 tery than that of domestic animals ; and, third, 

 that otherwise the fish and meats are very 

 similar in composition. . 



The seventh column shows the nutritive ra- 

 tios that is, the ratio of the nitrogenous con- 

 stituents (protein) to the non-nitrogenous ones 

 (carbohydrates and fats) a matter of impor- 

 tance in judging of the fitness of a given food 

 or food-mixture for supplying the wants of the 

 body. A nutritive ratio of 1 to 5 is usually re- 



