in THE THEOEY OF HUMAN NUTRITION 97 



For two reasons : (a) because the investigation of the effects of 

 meagre nutrition only applied to a very small number of persons, 

 a fact which gave ground for suspicion that these cases were 

 merely exceptions to the rule; (6) because these researches ex- 

 tended over too short a period, and could not therefore afford a 

 decisive proof of adequate nutrition for all the requirements of 

 muscular and nervous work during ordinary daily life. 



In order to depreciate the value of these objections, some 

 writers have laid stress upon the fact that many Asiatic races 

 consume a much smaller daily quantity of protein than Europeans 

 and Americans. The staple diet of the inhabitants of India, 

 China, and Japan is rice which, as is shown by Fig. 16, contains a 

 very small amount of protein. Here it is not a question of isolated 

 cases, but of many millions of human beings who have lived 

 normally for at least four thousand years on a much smaller 

 quantity of protein than that consumed by Europeans and 

 Americans on whom Voit, Atwater, and Tigerstedt founded their 

 doctrine of human nutrition. Against these persuasive argu- 

 ments it may be pointed out that we have no accurate statistical 

 data proving that Asiatics require for the performance of work 

 corresponding to that of Europeans a smaller quantity of protein 

 in proportion to their body-weight and nervous and muscular 

 activity, or that this smaller quantity may not be compensated 

 by a larger quantity of non-nitrogenous substances, and thus a 

 larger sum total of calories be available. 



Everything we have said so far leads us to the unsatisfactory 

 conclusion that the problem of the nutrition best adapted to the 

 human race has not yet been solved. In this connection, however, 

 the most recent researches of Russell and Chittenden (1904) seem 

 to me of great importance, and a decided step towards the solution 

 of this complex problem. 



III. Chittenden in 1903 investigated during several months 

 in his laboratory the diet and mode of life of Horace Fletcher, an 

 enthusiastic and intelligent advocate and preacher of economy in 

 nutrition, which he had practised for some years with beneficial 

 results to his mental and physical vigour, and to the great im- 

 provement of his general health. He had gradually succeeded in 

 satisfying his appetite completely with an extremely scanty diet,and 

 no longer felt any desire for the more liberal diet general among 

 his American compatriots. In January 1903 he spent thirty days 

 jn the physiological laboratory of Yale University, under the direct 

 observation of Chittenden, who examined his excreta in order to 

 ascertain the quantity of protein consumed. He was absolutely 

 free to choose his articles of food and followed the varied, though 

 very scanty, dietary to which he had for long accustomed himself. 



The result of these researches was that Fletcher, on a constant 

 body-weight of 71-940 kgrms., consumed an average of 41*25 grms. 



VOL. v n 



