FOODS AND DIETETICS. 83 



of material consumed. The diet scale of Ranke, for example, yields the 

 following amount: 



100 grams of protein yield 412 .4 calories. 

 100 grams of fat yield 935-3 calories. 

 240 grams of starch yield 987 .8 calories. 



Total 2,335 5 calories 



It has also been determined experimentally that one gram of proteid, one 

 gram of fat, and one gram of starch, when completely oxidized, will yield 

 energy sufficient to perform, 1,850, 3,841, and 1,567 kilogrammeters of work, 

 respectively. A kilogrammeter of work is one kilogram raised one meter 

 high. 



The total energy of the Ranke diet scale can be easily calculated e.g., 



100 grams of proteid yield 185,000 kilogrammeters. 

 100 grams of fat yield 384, 100 kilogrammeters. 

 240 grams of starch yield 397,680 kilogrammeters. 



Total 966,780 kilogrammeters. 



It will be thus seen that the food consumed daily yields 2,335 kilogram 

 calories, which can be translated into its mechanical equivalent, 966,780 

 kilogrammeters of work. 



The amount of food required in twenty-four hours is estimated from the 

 total quantity of carbon and nitrogen excreted from the body in twenty-four 

 hours, these two elements representing the waste or destruction of the carbon- 

 aceous and nitrogenized compounds. It has been determined by experimen- 

 tation that about 4,600 grains of carbon and about 300 grains of nitrogen are 

 eliminated from the body daily, the ratio being about 15 to i. That the body 

 may be kept in its normal condition, a proper proportion of carbonaceous 

 (bread) to nitrogenized (meat) food should be observed in the diet. 



The method of determining the proper amounts of both kinds of food is as 

 follows: 



1,000 grs. of bread (2 oz.) contain 300 grs. C. and 10 grs. N. 



To obtain the requisite amount of nitrogen from bread, 30,000 grains, or 

 about four pounds, containing 9,000 grains of carbon and 300 of nitrogen, 

 would have to be consumed. On such a diet there would be a large excess of 

 carbon, which would be undesirable. On a meat diet the reverse obtains: 



1,000 grs. of meat (2 oz.) contain 100 grs. C. and 30 grs. N. 



