LOW PROTEIN DIETARY IN THE TROPICS 



175 



is less likely to occur. Renal disease is very common in Bengal, 

 and, as met with in the wards of the hospital and out-patient 

 department, is distinctly more prevalent amongst the low protein- 

 consuming Hindu than amongst the more highly fed European. 

 With regard to the power of resistance to other pathological 

 conditions, as, for instance, septic infection, acute inflammatory 

 processes, recovery from shock, etc., Rogers's researches supply 

 information and evidence which have been hitherto entirely 

 lacking. We stated in a former publication on this subject 

 that there was a general consensus of opinion amongst medical 

 men that natives stand acute infections such as pneumonia, 

 plague, cholera, etc., badly. The evidence obtained from post- 

 mortem records bear out this opinion in a remarkable manner. 

 Thus, the reports of 4,800 post-mortem examinations show 

 1. That there are nearly twice as many Mohammedans over 

 the age of fifty as Hindus, and almost three times as many 

 Europeans. The figures are : 



This corroborates the evidence already adduced on the expecta- 

 tion of life for the different races, and shows that the low protein- 

 consuming Hindu dies off earlier than the better-fed Moham- 

 medan and European. 



2. The race incidence of death from acute lung diseases, 

 excluding tubercle, demonstrates that Hindus are very much 

 more liable to die of acute inflammatory lung trouble than either 

 Mohammedans or Europeans. Thus 74-6 per cent, of fatal lung 

 diseases were in Hindus against 67-4 per cent, of that race in 

 the total number of deaths. The Mohammedan deaths were 

 only 1 per cent, below the normal, while that of Europeans was 

 3-4 per cent, against a normal rate of 8-2 per cent, of deaths. 

 The figures are 



