LOW PROTEIN DIETARY IN THE TROPICS 



173 



3. A similar common association of albuminuria with anaemia 

 is met with in Bengal, in all probability due to degenerative 

 changes in the kidney epithelium, from an impoverished condition 

 of the blood. This also does not occur to anything like the same 

 extent in the anaemias of Europeans. It would therefore appear 

 that the resisting power of the renal cells is on a lower level in 

 the rice-eating Bengali than in the better-fed races. 



In order to obtain information on the effects of a low protein 

 on the incidence of renal disease, we have been able to collect 

 some valuable evidence. Thus 



The most recent figures for the Medical College Hospital, 

 including only medical cases of organic disease of the kidney, 



are 



We are indebted to Major Leonard Eogers, I.M.S., C.I.E.* for 

 some most interesting figures obtained from an analysis of the 

 post-mortem records of the Medical College Hospital, Calcutta. 

 No. VI. of his series of papers deals with diseases of the kidney. 

 He finds that in 4,800 bodies examined, serious renal disease was 

 present in 4 per cent., and was the primary cause of death in 

 .over 3 per cent, of all cases. He states that renal disease is 

 relatively a not very common cause of death, judging from the 

 post-mortem records, although there appears to be no lack of 

 cases in the wards. In a more minute analysis of 1,000 recent 

 post-mortems, most of which were performed by himself, 6 per 

 cent, showed well-marked disease of the kidneys, mostly con- 



* " Gleanings from the Calcutta Post- Mo item Records," Indian Medical 

 Gazette, 1909-1912. 



