60 



THE PROTEIN ELEMENT IN NUTRITION 



It is evident from these results that the legumes experimented 

 with are somewhat less thoroughly digested than other common 

 food materials, and that the addition of the legumes to the basal 

 diet caused a lowering of the percentages of absorption. 



In investigating the nutritive value of the Indian dais two 

 factors were found to affect seriously the absorption of protein. 

 One of these was the bulk of the basal diets, and another was the 

 large quantities of the dais given in some of the gaol dietaries. 

 With regard to the latter point, it has been the favourite method 

 of raising the nitrogenous element, without increasing the carbon- 

 aceous, to give large quantities of the pulses in these vegetable 

 dietaries which would be otherwise deficient in protein. Thus, in 

 the gaols of the United Provinces, dal in quantities of over 

 8 ounces enters into the composition of some of the dietetic 

 combinations sanctioned for prisoners. In such cases the protein 

 absorption from the diets was found to be very poor, and the 

 amount of nitrogen in the faeces exceedingly high. 



An example* will make this clear. 



Five prisoners were kept on the following diet for five days, 

 the faeces for the period separated in the usual manner, and the 

 nitrogen content determined : 



Juar 



Urid dal . . 

 Arhar dal . . 

 Vegetables . . 



22 ozs. presenting 7-4844 grms. of nitrogen. 

 6 ,, ,, 6-2940 



2 ,, ,, 1-9964 



6 , 0-5000 



Of a total intake of 16-2748 grammes of nitrogen, only 

 8-9992 grammes were absorbed, or 55-3 per cent, of the nitrogen 

 offered in the diet. The faeces gave 7-2756 grammes of nitrogen 

 per man daily. 



* Scientific Memoirs, Government of India, No. 48, p. 43. 



