I. II II 1 



It is important to contrasl these results with the following based on 

 municipal statistics of gross consumption. 



Mink ir\i Po » 8 



It is certain thai man can lead a normal existence and remain in good 

 health on very much less protein than the !<"• grams which statistical 

 studies show to be the amounl he actually takes. This discrepancy be- 

 tween the amounl which experimenl demonstrates to be adequate and 

 thai which habil and custom demand, raises the question as to whether, 

 after all, our instincts may nol have erred and bo made us dju rily 



extravagant in our protein intake. It has been suggested that Buch pro- 

 tein extravagance will in various ways have a deleterious effect on the 

 organism; thus, thai the excretory organs, Buch as the kidneys, will be 

 overtaxed in eliminating the unused amino acids, that the constant p 



ence of these bodies in excess in the bl I will cause degeneration and 



sluggish metabolism, and thai the excess protein in the intestine will 

 lead to the production of ptomaines, whose subsequent absorption into 

 the blood will cause toxemic symptoms. 



Important Bupport to such views appeared to be supplied some -1" 

 years ago by Chittenden, who was able tn show that he himself and many 

 other persons doing different kinds of work could be supported on daily 

 amounts of protein that were not more than from one-third to one-half 

 of the amounl usually taken. Not only so, but it was averred that dis- 

 tinct improvement was experienced in the general - of well-being 

 and of mental efficiency as a result of the lesser protein consumption. 



Taking these results as a whole, it is quite dear that man can 

 along under ordinary conditions with much less protein than he usually 

 takes; but thai really proves nothing, for the question is not can he but 

 should lie, bo deprive himself) Are instinct and custom wrong and is 

 Chittenden right I That is the question. To answer it many studies have 



keen made of the condition of peoples who for economic or other 

 sons are compelled to live on less protein than t ho averagt \ ■ • •' 

 people healthier, less prone to infections and degenerative dis< and 



more efficient mentally than Others [] BUCh stud ■ care must be 



exercised to see thai conditions other than diet, such as climate, -•■ 



etc., are properly allowed for. It would not be fair, for example, to 



compare the mental ami bodily condition s living in the tropics 



