NOURISHMENT FOR A HEALTHY ADULT. 



435 



The compound sugars in the organism must first be decomposed into 

 monosaccharids before they are oxidized, just as they are decomposed into 

 monosaccharids in the process of fermentation. If the organism is unable to 

 split a compound sugar into its components, it cannot oxidize the sugar. This 

 splitting, for example, of cane-sugar and milk-sugar, is carried out in the 

 intestine. If these substances are introduced subcutaneously they are not 

 split up, and therefore are not made use of; that is, they are excreted again 

 in the urine. 



It is a remarkable fact that butter can be injected subcutaneously in 

 considerable amounts and, thus introduced, is utilized either for combustion 

 or for the deposition of fat. 



With regard to the relative proportions in which these various nutri- 

 tive materials should be combined, experience has taught that for man, 

 a diet in which the nitrogenous and non-nitrogenous elements are mixed 

 in the proportion of one nitrogenous to 3^, or at the most 4^, parts of the 

 non-nitrogenous elements, must be considered as the most advantageous. 

 If the customary articles of diet be considered according to this standard, 

 it can easily be seen to what degree they conform with the requirement 

 mentioned, and, furthermore, that a suitable diet may often be formed 

 by a mixture of several of them. 



The following table shows the proportion of nitrogenous and non- 

 nitrogenous matters in various articles of food : 



Nitrog- Non-nitrog- 



enous. 



1. Veal, 10 



2. Hare, 10 



3. Beef, 10 



4. Lentils, 10 



5. Beans, 10 



6. Peas, 10 



7. Mutton (fattened), 10 



8. Pork 10 



9. Cow's milk, 10 



to 



enous. 



I 

 2 



21 

 22 

 23 



27 



Nitrog- Non-nitrog- 



enous. enous. 



TO. Human milk, ..... 10 to 37 



11. Wheat-flour, ..... 10 46 



12. Oat-meal, ....... 10 50 



13. Rye-flour, ....... 10 57 



14. Barley-flour, ..... 10 57 



15. White potatoes,. . . 10 86 



16. Blue potatoes, . . . . 10 115 



17. Rice , ............ 10 123 



1 8. Buckwheat-flour, .. 10 130 



This survey shows that in addition to human milk, wheat-flour lies within 

 the normal limits with regard to its proportional composition. On the other 

 hand the articles of diet from i to 9 require an addition of non-nitrogenous, those 

 from 12 to 1 8 of nitrogenous, substances in order to maintain the proportions 

 from 10:35 to 10 : 45. A man who attempted to live on meat alone would, there- 

 fore, be just as irrational as one who took potatoes alone as food. Experience long 

 ago impressed upon the mind of the people the fact that milk and eggs will indeed 

 support life, but that a meal of meat requires potatoes or bread; a dish of beans 

 a portion of bacon. 



It should also be especially mentioned that the proportions of the diet vary 

 in accordance with climate and season. As with a considerable degree of cold 

 the organism must produce more heat, the inhabitants of higher latitudes take 

 relatively more non-nitrogenous food (fat and sugar or starches) , which, on account 

 of its richness in carbon, is especially suited for the generation of heat in the body. 



The graphic representation of the composition of the most important 

 articles of food in Fig. 141 (after A. Fick) is especially clear. 



If it be borne in mind that the nitrogenous bodies in the food must 

 be in the proportion of i : 3$ to 4^ of the non-nitrogenous, a glance 

 will show at once what articles of diet are suited for food without addi- 

 tion, as well as which of them may be suitably combined to supplement 

 one another. 



The absolute amount of food that an adult needs during twenty-four 

 hours is influenced by various factors. As food represents the reservoir 



