478 PHYSIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY. 



tional to the bodily weight, for a small body consumes relatively 

 more substance than a larger one, and varying amounts of i'at may 

 also cause a difference; but a large body, which must maintain a 

 greater quantity, consumes an absolutely greater quantity of sub- 

 stance than a small one, and in estimating the nutritive need one 

 must also always consider the weight of the body. According to 

 VOIT, the diet for a laborer with 70 kilos bodily weight requires 40 

 calories for each kilo. In KUMAGAWA'S series of experiments, in 

 which the absolute quantity of food was smaller, the average was 

 52 calories for each kilo. 



As above stated several times, the demands of the body for nour- 

 ishment vary with its different conditions. Among these condi- 

 tions two are practically important, namely, labor and rest. 



In a previous chapter, in which muscular labor was spoken of, it 

 was seen that the generally accepted view is that non-nitrogenized 

 food is the most essential, if not the exclusive, source of muscular 

 force. As a natural sequence it is to be expected that in activity 

 the non-nitrogenized foods before all must be increased in the daily 

 rations. 



Still this does not seem to correspond to daily experience. It 

 is a well-known fact that hard-working individuals men and ani- 

 mals require a greater amount of proteids in the food than less 

 active ones. This contradiction is, however, only apparent, and it 

 depends, as VOIT has shown, upon the fact that individuals used 

 to violent work are more muscular. For this reason a person per- 

 forming severe muscular labor requires food containing a larger pro- 

 portion of proteids than an individual whose occupation demands 

 less violent exertion. Another question is, how should the relative 

 and absolute amount of food be changed if increased exertion be 

 demanded of one and the same individual ? 



An answer based upon experience may be found in statistics 

 concerning the maintenance of soldiers in peace and in war. Many 

 such statements are obtainable. In a critical examination of the 

 same it was found that in war-rations the quantity of non-nitrogen- 

 ized bodies as compared to the proteids is only increased in excep- 

 tional cases, while usually the reverse is the case. Even in these 

 cases the actual proportion does not correspond to the theoretical 

 demand upon which, however, too great stress must not be placed, 



