84 THE PROTEIN ELEMENT IN NUTRITION 



simply represents the average amount of the nitrogen of the urine, 

 and that no allowance has been made for the nitrogen which has 

 undergone metabolism, but leaves the body in other ways than 

 in the urine, or that has been retained owing to an increase of 

 body weight. The figures given in columns 4 and 5 are, there- 

 fore, probably too low. 



By making use of the coefficients of protein absorption given 

 these can be corrected. Taking the average for the six subjects, 

 the figures given by Chittenden and the corrected figures would 

 read : 



There was, therefore, on the average 1-5 grammes of nitrogen, 

 or 9-37 grammes of protein the difference between Chittenden's 

 and the corrected figures daily for each subject metabolized, 

 and either retained within the body the subjects all show a gain 

 in weight or eliminated in some other way than in the urine ; 

 probably it disappeared to some extent in both these ways. 



The important point, however, from our present standpoint 

 is the average amount of the faecal nitrogen shown by these six 

 subjects during the period of observation. Accepting the 

 corrected figures as properly interpreting Chittenden's meaning, 

 the average amount of nitrogen lost in the faeces works out to be 

 1 -36 grammes per man daily. The importance of this lies in the 

 fact that Chittenden attributes the poor physique of the Bengali 

 to his " unbalanced, unphysiological ration," the criterion of 

 which would appear to be that 1-5 grammes of its contained 

 nitrogen passes through the intestinal tract unabsorbed ; whereas 

 the well-balanced, physiological dietary of Chittenden's six 

 subjects, during the use of which most satisfactory results were 

 obtained, allows 1-36 grammes of its nitrogen to pass out of the 

 body unchanged. That a difference of 0-14 grammes of nitrogen 

 in the daily fasces could have such far-reaching consequences 

 is scarcely credible, or that it can constitute the difference between 

 a well-balanced, satisfactory diet and an ill-balanced, inferior 

 diet is absurd. In this connection we may refer to the results 



