100 PHYSIOLOGY FOR DENTAL STUDENTS. 



is, measuring the exact quantities of protein and carbohydrate 

 in the diets which the people are accustomed to live on, and aver- 

 aging the results. One remarkable outcome of such statistical 

 work has been to show that for peoples living under approxi- 

 mately the same conditions as regards climate and amount of 

 daily muscular work, the average daily requirement of calories, 

 carbon and nitrogen works out pretty much the same, although 

 there may be some diversity in the proportions of protein and 

 carbohydrate. The following table shows this: 



Type of individuals. Protein Fat Carbo. Total Cal. C. N. 



gr. gr. gr. gr. gr. 

 Average workman in 



Germany, 20 years age. 118 56 500 3,045 328 18.8 

 German soldier in the 



field 151 46 522 3,190 340 24 



British soldier in peace... 133 115 429 3,400 ... 21.3 

 Russian soldier in war (Man- 



churian campaign) .... 187 27 775 4,900 ... 30 



Professional man 100 100 240 2,324 230 16 



Such figures can be compiled with tolerable accuracy because 

 the diet is under control. It is of course more difficult to collect 

 sufficiently accurate data regarding the diets of civilians, but it 

 is safe to say that the average city dweller in temperate zones 

 derives his daily requirement of 15 gr. nitrogen in 95 grammes 

 of protein, which also yields 60 gr. of the required 250 gr. car- 

 bon. This deficit he might supply either from fats or carbohy- 

 drates, the actual proportion depending on availability and price. 

 It should be particularly noted that the proportion of protein is 

 very much increased whenever strenuous muscular work has to 

 be performed. Now the question is, do such statistical studies 

 substantiate Chittenden's claim that the protein which we are 

 accustomed to consume could profitably be reduced? They cer- 

 tainly do not. Let us for a moment consider the health condition 

 and physical development of communities such as the Bengalis 

 of Lower Bengal, who live largely on rice, and take only a little 

 less in the way of protein than what Chittenden would have us 

 take. The body weight, chest measurement and muscular devel- 

 opment are distinctly inferior to those of the natives of Eastern 



