23,1 Santos: Metabolism Experiments with Filipinos 53 



habit 3 and eat cigar or cigarette ash. It is not uncommon to 

 find pregnant women who dislike the smell of tobacco, but who 

 nevertheless eat the ash. 



Proteins. — Is the protein requirement of Filipinos the same as 

 that of other people? Careful consideration of all the literature 

 up to date shows that this question cannot be answered at present. 

 It is my intention to study this phase in the near future. Aron 

 and Hocson found that it was not possible to establish nitrogen 

 equilibrium with the simple Filipino diet of rice, bread, fish, 

 sugar, bacon, and coffee, even in cases where the nitrogen intake 

 was comparatively high (8.5 to 9.95 grams per day) if the total 

 caloric intake was less than 1,800 calories per 50 kilograms of 

 body weight. They state further: (3) 



* * * On the other hand, if the number 1,800 was equalled or ex- 

 ceeded, then 9 grams of nitrogen per 50 kilograms of body weight were 

 sufficient. If a less quantity of nitrogen than the above figure was taken 

 with the food, then the loss of nitrogen exceeded the amount taken, even 

 if the number of calories reached 2,200. However, with an intake of ^5 

 to 6 grams of nitrogen, the deficit amounted to less than 2 grams * * *. 



From this they deduced that in some instances 8 grams of 

 nitrogen per 50 kilograms of body weight, or 0.16 gram per 

 kilogram of body weight, would be sufficient. Their value was 

 higher than the lowest limit found by other authors who have 

 succeeded in establishing nitrogen equilibrium on 0.1 gram 

 per kilogram of body weight. 



Collado found that the average intake of each member of two 

 poor families in Los Banos was 9.4 grams nitrogen with a total 

 of 2,090 calories. The prisoners in Manila were found by Con- 

 cepcionO) to have an average daily intake of 8.5 grams of 

 nitrogen with a total of 1,799 calories. Although the latter 

 author was of the opinion that the amounts found by Collado 

 and by himself were sufficient to keep the body in nitrogen 

 equilibrium, Aron and Hocson's finding that at least 1,800 calories 

 per 50 kilograms of body weight are needed to preserve nitrogen 

 equilibrium led him to conclude that the requirement of calories 

 estimated by Collado and by himself was not adequate for the 

 body. The reason for this conclusion is not obvious. According 

 to Aron and Hocson's results at least 36 calories per kilogram 

 of body weight are needed to keep the body in nitrogen balance. 

 Collado's data show that his subject had an intake of 40 calories 



* Thick paste of calcium hydroxide is spread on fresh betel leaves. This 

 together with the buyo is a favorite chew of many women. 



