894 PROPORTIONS OF NUTRITIVE MATTER 



belonging to the Hudson's Bay Company con- 

 sume about the same quantity of meat daily, 

 which would afford 2 Ibs. of nutritive matter, and 

 1*20 Ib. of carbon and hydrogen. But it is well 

 known that a labouring man in Europe is well 

 supported on 2 Ibs. of flour, rice, oatmeal, or 

 barley, any of which contain about 1 Ib. of 

 carbon and hydrogen, or a little more, if we 

 allow for the gluten, which, as will be seen pre- 

 sently, varies from 8 to 13 per cent.* And it 



* It is equally certain that men who live a sedentary life may 

 be well nourished on a much smaller amount of the same species 

 of aliment, that Cornaro subsisted on 12 oz. of farinaceous 

 food, with 14 oz. of weak wine per day, during the greater part 

 of his long life, in the mild climate of Italy, and that the 

 Hindoos and Chinese live on from 16 to 24 oz. of rice per day. 

 I know a respectable woman who, owing to a reverse of fortune, 

 supported herself for a year, with five children, (whose ages varied 

 from 15 to 5 years) on 26 Ibs. of bread per week, 21 Ibs. of 

 potatoes, 7 Ibs. of meat, 7 pints of skimmed milk, with 1 Ib. of 

 flour, a little sugar, tea, and cocoa, the whole cost of which was 

 9. 6^d. So that if we allow for 20 per cent, of water in the 

 bread, 75 per cent, in the potatoes, 50 per cent, in the meat 

 (including 25 per cent, of fat, which it may be supposed to con- 

 tain,) and 90 per cent, of water in the milk, there remains 32 Ibs. 

 of solid matter for six individuals, or 5j- Ibs. a week, and about 

 12 oz. a day for each. Yet they were all in good health, had 

 ruddy complexions, a fine flow of spirits, never required any 

 physic, and every meal was a luxury. A knowledge of these 

 facts, if rightly appreciated, would be of great service to millions, 

 who expend on spirits, malt liquors, tea, and coffee, what would 

 afford them an ample supply of wholesome nourishment. I also 

 know a gentleman who made the experiment of living on 24 oz. 

 of oatmeal per day, made into porridge, with 2 pints of milk, for 

 several weeks in succession, without any detriment to his health. 



