TROPICAL TRIBES AND RACES 183 



building up and maintenance of the nitrogenous tissues of the 

 body. 



Before passing from the inhabitants of the plains of Bengal it 

 is necessary to refer to the last part of Kellogg's criticism viz., 

 " Many of the Indians, however, are strong and robust people. 

 I understand that an Indian regiment made up entirely of natives 

 is the finest lot of men in His Majesty's Service." These remarks 

 were made in connection with our work on the metabolism of the 

 rice-eating Bengali, and their effect is to afford another example 

 of the loose way in which evidence on the sufficiency of vege- 

 tarian diets is collected. The line of reasoning is easily followed : 

 rice is the staple food of the Indian ; the physique and manly 

 qualities of Indian regiments compare very favourably with that 

 of other countries whose soldiers are accustomed to meat, and 

 are high protein feeders ; therefore a vegetable diet and a low 

 level of protein metabolism is quite as good, if not actually 

 superior, to a mixed dietary and a higher level of nutrition. 

 The true facts, as exemplified in the selection of soldiers for the 

 [ndian Army, demonstrate the fallacy of this reasoning, and afford 

 still further evidence of the importance of a high standard of nutri- 

 tion in the formation of the qualities and instincts of the soldier. 



The Bengali has never, so far as we are aware, in modern times 

 been recruited for the fighting line, and although many regiments 

 are termed Bengal Infantry, Bengal Cavalry, etc., not a single 

 man carrying a rifle could claim Bengal as his place of birth. 

 We have no desire to labour this point unduly, but the question 

 arises, Why is the Bengali unfit for the fighting line when other 

 inhabitants of the great Gangetic Plain, stretching from the 

 north-west in the Punjab to the sea in Bengal, exposed to, and 

 suffering from, practically all the disabilities enumerated by 

 Kellogg, but on a superior dietary, are capable of exhibiting the 

 firmest courage, and maintaining untarnished the great fighting 

 traditions of their race ? Thus, there is the Sikh, famous 

 thoughout the world for his endurance and manly qualities, an 

 inhabitant of the hottest plains of India, yet a man of splendid 

 physique and full of energy ; the Dogra, the Jat, Rajput, all 

 well known for their own special qualities on the Indian frontier, 

 or where courage, determination and endurance are called for. 

 Even in the various classes of these and allied races, differences 

 in physique, muscular vigour, hardiness, and all those qualities 

 that go to make up the perfect soldier, can be detected. 



