322 STUDIES IN ADVANCED PHYSIOLOGY. 



get the necessary amount of proteids from turnips, for in- 

 stance, an amount not less than 8,700 grams would have to 

 be consumed each day. Evidently, therefore, it is desira- 

 ble that the body should derive its nitrogen supply from 

 those foods which appear first in the table just given. 



The 312 grams of carbon which on an average the body 

 needs per day might be derived from the following amounts 

 of foods: 



Fat meat 450 grams. 



Corn meal 800 " 



Wheaten flour 824 



Rice 900 



Peas 1,000 



Cheese 1,200 



Eggs 2,200 (about 43 eggs.) 



Lean meat 2,600 



Potatoes 3,100 



Milk 4>6oo 



Turnips 10,000 



These figures at once give us a clue as to the most 

 desirable kind of a diet. It will evidently consist first, of 

 one or more of those substances which are very rich in pro- 

 teid, such as cheese, peas or beans, meat, cereal flour or 

 eggs, in order to get the proper nitrogen supply, and then 

 for the carbon needed to turn to the second table and get 

 either the fat meats which are especially rich in carbon, or 

 else some of the more starchy foods like corn, wheat, rice 

 or potatoes. 



FLAVOES, CONDIMENTS, AND STIMULANTS. 



In describing the classes of foods so far, it has been 

 done without very much attention to the distinctions which 

 the palate would make. In the actual eating of foods these 

 secondary flavors and condiments not infrequently play 

 a very determining role. However, all these flavors, no 

 matter how pleasant they may be to the palate, have prac- 

 tically no digestive value at all, and so for pure physio- 

 logical reasons need not be considered. The dainty dis- 

 tinctions of taste which the various kinds of meats afford 



