44 THE PROTEIN ELEMENT IN NUTRITION 



Observations * Nos. 21 and 22 . . 80-8 per cent, of nitrogen absorbed. 



,, 23 24 .. 804 



Observation No. 28 .. .. 79-3 



,,30 .. .. 81-0 



,,32 .. .. 80-8 



The average absorption of the protein of this wheat is, there- 

 fore, practically 80-5 per cent. These results were all obtained 

 from the same sample of wheat. The wheat was specially selected 

 as being clean and pure for the purpose of the experiment. It 

 was ground in hand-driven stone-mills, and contained all the 

 elements of the grain, except the coarser parts of the bran, which 

 were rejected on sifting. An absorption of over 80 per cent, of 

 the protein of all the elements of the wheat grain, including the 

 germ, therefore, may be expected when the sample of wheat is 

 pure and in good condition. 



But no such favourable results are obtained when the sample 

 of wheat is contaminated and dirty. From the results of 

 observations carried out on a large scale in four large gaols of 

 the United Provinces, the protein absorption, shown by the 

 different wheats experimented with, was found to vary with 

 the condition of the sample. Taking an average of the results 

 given by feeding experiments with ordinary wheat as supplied, the 

 protein absorption works out as follows : 



Observations-f Nos. 25 and 26. . . . 69-3 per cent, absorbed. 



Observation No. 31 68-3 



Observations Nos. 51, 52, and 53 . . 62-8 



,,57, 58, and 59 . . 69-7 



60 and 61 .. . . 67-9 



63, 64, and 65 . . 71-4 



Observation No. 72 67-5 



,,84 72-3 



Observations Nos. 77, 78, and 79 . . 63-1 



That is, taking the protein absorption, where different samples 

 of common wheat were experimented with, the average quantity 

 made use of in the body works out at 68 per cent. 



For the very large proportion of the wheat consumed by the 

 masses in India, this percentage of protein absorption is all that 

 could be counted on. It is not altogether a matter of adultera- 

 tion by the seller, as not infrequently a mixture of cereals, 

 such as wheat and barley, is cultivated as such. The majority 

 of the population live by agriculture, and grow their own food- 

 stuffs, which are ground and prepared by the women- folk in their 

 own homes. Except in the large towns, there is practically no 

 buying of ground wheat or other foodstuffs. 



* Scientific Memoirs, Government of India, No. 48. f Loc. cit. 



