656 Dietaries of Labouring Prisoners in Indian Jails. [part iv. 



nates in it as 9*0 per cent., and Dr. Lyon found that a sample which he analysed in 

 Bombay contained over 8 per cent. In his valuable memorandum on foods,* however, 

 Dr. Lyon adopts a percentage of 7-3 for computing the proportion of albuminates in 

 this cereal, and I have followed his example in the accompanying jail dietary tables, 

 not only because this proportion appears to give a fair estimate of the quantity con- 

 tained in an average sample of good rice, but also because it is very desirable that 

 a uniform standard should be adopted in calculating the nutritive values in the 

 various food grains in India. 



30. For similar reasons I have followed Dr. Lyon in adopting a common factor 

 for computing the amount of carbon in Indian cereals and pulses. As the factor made 

 use of somewhat understates the average results of analyses as to the carbon value 

 of the majority of these food-stuffs, there is less hesitation felt in adopting it. The 

 extreme differences either way, however, are not very material. A uniform value has 

 likewise been accorded to the different kinds of pulses in regard to nitrogen also, as, 

 in most instances, there is no information available as to the particular pulse made 

 use of, the term pulse (or dhal) being the only definition given for the guidance of 

 jail officials. A table of the factors adopted will be found appended to this memo- 

 randum, so that any one interested in the subject may be able to extend the com- 

 putations on the same bases. 



31. Several attempts have been made to reduce the jail diets of this country 

 into something approaching to uniformity, but, as may be inferred from what has 

 been said above as to the number at present in force, without much success. In 

 1864 a Special Indian Jail Committee was assembled, and, among other matters, this 

 question came under consideration. Their recommendations under this heading were 

 chiefly to the effect that animal food should form a portion of the dietary of all 

 labouring and under-trial prisoners — animal food being understood to include fish, 

 flesh and milk, with its various products ; and that particular attention should be paid 

 to the cooking, as also to securing that the prisoners should receive the prescribed 

 quantities. "No scale of dietary," they remark, "can have fair play unless the proper 

 dressing and the honest distribution of rations are rigidly attended to," 



32. Appended to the Committee's report is a separate report by a Sub-Committee, 

 which contains the scales of diet which had been adopted by the Government of Bengal 

 on the recommendation of Dr. Mouat in 1860. In each of these scales intended for 

 labouring and under-trial prisoners animal food is included, and they appear to have 

 received the general approval of the Committee. A detailed statement of these par- 

 ticular diets will be found in Table I of the appendix to this memorandum, together 

 with a computation of the number of grains of nitrogen and carbon in each. The an- 

 nexed table epitomises this information, and, further, reduces the aggregate of each 

 day's food into its principal alimentary constituents — albuminates, carbo-hydrates, and 



 fats : — 



* Gazette of India, May 19, 1877. 



