466 REPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 



When the true character of the different kinds of food materials is 

 more thoroughly understood diet will almost of necessity become more 

 rational. With the advance of knowledge as to the physical require- 

 ments of the body it will become possible to establish standards which 

 shall indicate the approximate amount of the different nutrients required. 

 By this it is not to be understood that any definite rules for the con- 

 sumption of food can be laid down, but simply that it will be possible 

 to furnish a reliable guide for the purchase and use of foods. 



The proper nourishment of the inmates of institutions where large 

 numbers must be fed, such as schools, reformatories, prisons, and 

 hospitals, is a subject that is attracting no little attention at the 

 present time. In several instances studies have been made of the 

 actual food consumption in such institutions, and quite recently an 

 extended study of the food requirements of the insane has been car- 

 ried on by one of the States. In many instances dietary studies have 

 been made in schools, college clubs, etc., and the information obtained 

 has been of much use. That such studies have been found to have a 

 practical value and that the interest in them is widespread is shown 

 by the fact that a considerable number have been undertaken b}^ 

 instructors and others interested, aside from those carried on by the 

 Department of Agriculture. 



When it so happens that large bodies of men are to be fed, as in 

 the case of armies, or where the transportation of large amounts of 

 food is difficult, the results obtained from dietary studies and similar 

 investigations are of the utmost advantage in the selection of the food 

 ration. It also becomes possible to select condensed rations which for 

 emergencies shall furnish within the smallest space sufficient food for 

 sustenance. 



These are some of the more important uses that can be made of the 

 results of dietary studies and similar investigations. The} 7 are suffi- 

 cient to show the advantage to be obtained from extended research 

 in this direction. At present only a beginning has been made, but 

 every year adds to the data available. 



In general, the object of dietary studies is not to limit the amount 

 or variety of food to be used b} r the people, but rather to discover 

 ways and means in which their dietaries may be improved and the 

 available food supply be most economically used to maintain the bod}^ 

 in good health and to make it an efficient instrument for the different 

 forms of labor required by our complex civilization. 



It is not the purpose of food chemists to prescribe weighed amounts 

 of different foods as a physician prescribes medicines, but rather to 

 show the actual nutritive value of different food materials and their 

 relative economy as sources of nutrients, leaving the application of 

 the knowledge to individuals. Although dietary standards are sug- 

 gested, it is not necessary that the food each day should contain exactly 



