172 THE PROTEIN ELEMENT IN NUTRITION 



is the ideal diet. This amount, he believes, is fully met by a 

 daily metabolism equal to an exchange of 0-12 gramme nitrogen 

 per kilo of body weight. Any excess beyond this amount 

 imposes just so much of an unnecessary strain upon the organism, 

 and more especially on the excretory organs, placing on them 

 the needless burden of the elimination of an extra quantity of 

 waste products, which is liable to endanger their integrity and 

 possibly result in serious damage. 



The important point, from our present standpoint, is the 

 amount of food that " preserves the normal powers of resistance 

 to disease." The Bengali exists on the actual amount of protein 

 Chittenden declares to be the optimum, and should, therefore, 

 exhibit those " many suggestions of improvement in bodily 

 health, of greater efficiency in working power, and greater 

 freedom from disease," which Chittenden believes to be amongst 

 the merits of diets poor in protein. 



It may be stated at once that there is absolutely no evidence 

 to support the contention that the elimination of the waste 

 products of the average protein dietary throws any strain on 

 the kidneys in fact, the evidence would tend to point to exactly 

 the opposite conclusion viz., that- there is greater danger of a 

 condition of malnutrition of the renal epithelium from the 

 lowered or impoverished state of the blood which accompanies 

 a diet poor in protein. In support of this view we may point 

 out 



1. The great prevalence of kidney disease in Bengal, despite 

 the very low level of nitrogenous interchange exhibited by the 

 great mass of the population. 



2. The very common association of albuminuria with the 

 ordinary dietetic form of glycosuria found in Bengal, even in 

 the earlier stages of the disease. Dr. Chuni Lai Bose* states 

 that 65 per cent, of his series of 325 cases of glycosuria showed 

 evidence of kidney damage . In Europeans glycosuria is not accom- 

 panied by albuminuria in anything like such a high percentage of 

 cases. We believe that the explanation rests largely with the 

 nutritive power of the plasma in the two classes of people, the 

 lowered state of vitality of the renal epithelium, from the poor 

 condition of the blood, rendering it more easily damaged in the 

 Bengali, and less able to withstand the irritating effects of sugar 

 elimination. 



* Scientific Memoirs, Government of India, No. 34, pp. 63-67. This point 

 is discussed in more detail. 



