TENTH ANNUAL MEETING. 129 
Three things should be said with reference to the table: First 
—The figures represent general averages. Sometimes different 
samples of the same kind of flesh will show widely varying per- 
centages of constituents. This is particularly true of the fats, 
and to a less degree of the water. 
Second—The figures of some of the kinds of food are based 
upon few analyses. More are needed to show the actual range 
of variation and the averages. 
Third—tThe nutritive valuations are of necessity crude, and to 
be relied upon rather as approximations than as accurate quan- 
titative statements. Much more chemical and physiological in- 
vestigation is needed to make our knowledge of these as com- 
plete and satisfactory as it should be. 
Looking down the figures in the table we note that the actual 
nutritive value is decided not only by the total amount of nutri- 
tive material and by ingredients of the same, the most valuable 
being the albuminoids or protein substances, the fats having less 
value. 
Taking medium beef (flesh free from bone) at roo, the flesh of 
the different samples of fish varied from 62 to 163. Among 
those that excelled medium beef are smoked herring, 163; salt 
mackerel, 111; salmon, 108; canned salmon, 107; boned cod, 107; 
Spanish mackerel, 106; whitefish, 105; salt cod and smoked hali- 
but, 102; herring, 100; shad, mackerel and eels vary between go 
and 100; turbot, white perch, alewives, between 80 and 100; had- 
dock stood at 75, cod at 68, and flounder at only 62. In general, 
the fatter fish are more valuable than the leaner. 
Some very interesting results are found in comparing the foul 
of spent fish with the same in good condition. As it becomes 
lean the fish loses nutritive value in three ways: first, in decrease 
of weight; second, in relative increase of waste and decrease of 
flesh; and, third, in the deterioration of the quality of the flesh 
which, in the lean fish, is more watery and considerably less 
valuable pound for pound than the flesh of the same fish in good 
condition. Thus the flesh of spent salmon was rated at 85, while 
that of fat salmon came up to 108. There is in this a strong 
argument in favor of legislation against the capture of fish out 
of season. 
