CONCERNING LOW PROTEIN DIETARIES 



137 



or over one-third more protein than the Chittenden standard ; 

 yet Dr. Gautier, the greatest French authority on dietetics, 

 states that it is too poor in protein, even for a man who does 

 not work. He lays it down that a man on hard labour should 

 be provided with 135 grammes of protein and from 500 to 700 

 grammes of carbonaceous material more than double the Chit- 

 tenden standard. 



DUNLOP'S STANDARDS. 



It may be concluded, therefore, from the knowledge gained 

 from a study of prison dietaries, that the results do not bear out 

 Chittenden' s contentions. 



Other points bearing on this subject have been admirably 

 summarized by Spriggs in his article on the results of experi- 

 mental work on diet.* He quotes Darwin's remarks on his visit 

 to the Chilian copper mines. The ore had to be carried up a 

 450-feet shaft in loads of 200 pounds. The men were pale, and 

 some of them with but little muscular development. They were 

 fed on beans and bread ; the men preferred bread, which was a 

 luxury ; but the masters, finding they could not work so hard 

 upon this, were accustomed to treat them like horses, and make 

 them eat the beans. In beans 20 per cent, of the energy is in the 

 form of protein, whereas in bread only about 12 per cent, is 

 present as such. 



Livingstone records that the grain-eating tribes of Central 

 Africa could not endure fatigue so well as the beef-eaters, who 

 scorned the idea of ever being tired. 



Dr. Zieman, from a careful study of the hygienic conditions 

 of tropical Africa, states that one of the most influential of the 



* Spriggs, " A System of Diet and Dietetics." Sutherland, 1908. 



