90 



THE PROTEIN ELEMENT IN NUTRITION 



which the best material is obtained for the Indian Army, a con- 

 siderable quantity of animal matter has a place. Milk and its 

 various preparations form very important elements of the 

 dietary with all classes. 



As we shall have occasion to discuss the dietaries of these 

 fighting tribes and the results seemingly obtained from them in 

 another connection, it will be sufficient at present to give the 

 food consumption of the Sikh one of the most widely known 

 of the fighting races of India. 



1. As children. They, like most of the children of India, are 

 breast-fed for a long period about two and a half years. After 

 the first year, or year and a half, the mother's milk is supple- 

 mented by fresh cow's milk diluted with an equal quantity of 

 water. Towards the end of the period of suckling the child is 

 given a morning feed of curdled milk a sort of junket- 4 ounces 

 daily. 



2. At two and a half years of age the child is weaned. He is 

 then given four meals a day, the aggregate consisting of the 

 following quantities of food materials, which represent the 

 averages up to early adult life : 



Milk 



Curd 



Wheat 



Rice 



Dal 



Sugar 



Vegetables 



Butter . . 



8 ozs.* 



2 t 



8 



4 



2 



2 



2 



1 oz. 



Approximate Value. 



Protein, 50 to 60 gnns. 



Heat value, 2,000 to 2,250 calories. 



In addition, the child, at the age of three years, begins to take 

 meat in small quantities, usually two or three times a month. 



3. Young adults living in their villages are able to obtain large 

 quantities of cow's milk and various kinds of animal food, such 

 as goat's flesh, mutton, fowls (male fowls only), venison, bacon, 

 eggs, ducks, pigeons, fish. The better off the family happens to 

 be, the greater is the average amount of animal food in the 

 dietary. Beef is never eaten, the cow being a sacred animal. 

 The average dietary is as follows : 



Approximate Value. 



* And upwards. 



Morning. 



