368 The Philippine Journal of Science 1923 



An open-air kitchen was erected by. the side of the theater; 

 several lepers were chosen to assist in preparing the food, and 

 the cooking was done in plain view of the entire colony. 



The meals were made as nearly equal from the standpoint 

 of calories as possible. The hours of 7, 12, and 5.30 were chosen 

 for meals. 



Table 2 shows the composition of eighteen typical meals, illus- 

 trative of the type of food given. Table 3 records the weights 

 of the lepers. Calculation of the calorific value of all of the 

 menus shows an average of 3,145 calories per adult per day, 

 and an average of 2,673 calories per child per day. However, 

 it cannot be asserted that each of the lepers ate the above number 

 of calories per day, since there were no facilities for weighing 

 the food which remained, and the appetites of the lepers naturally 

 were somewhat variable. On the whole, however, their interest 

 in their food was surprisingly constant, and they consumed the 

 larger number of calories without any inconvenience and were 

 apparently improved in energy and spirits. 



The average cost, calculated on the prices of the first forty- 

 five meals, was 31 centavos per person per day if milk and coffee 

 are excluded from the calculation, and 35 centavos per day if 

 these items are included. This cost can be greatly reduced 

 without affecting the dietary value of the food, by careful study 

 of the market prices, and selection of the cheaper varieties of 

 proteins, beans, press cakes, vegetables, and fruits. 



The main object in this early experimental work was to 

 demonstrate the physiological effects of a better-balanced diet. 

 It was necessary to keep constantly in mind the fact that all the 

 people experimented on were volunteers, sick, and naturally sus- 

 picious of any radical innovation. 



SUMMARY 



This experiment lasted from January 20 to February 24, 1922 ; 

 of the 200 persons included, 164, or 82 per cent, gained from 

 100 grams to 5.1 kilograms in weight with an average increase 

 of 2.5 kilograms per person. 



Only 14.5 per cent of the patients decreased in weight, with 

 an average decrease of 1.3 kilograms per person; 3.5 per cent 

 remained stationary. 



The increase was more frequent in patients under 50 years of 

 age and was almost negligible in patients over 50 years of age. 



Lepers in the incipient stage of the disease are more prone 

 to variations. Of the 54 cases composing the incipient group, 

 90.7 per cent increased in weight, and none remained stationary. 



