ON PRISON DIET AND DISCIPLINE. 57 



viation from more severe labour. The labour varies with the weight of the shot 

 to be carried, the weight of the body, and the rate of speed. The weight of the 

 shot is known and regulated, but varies in different prisons, whilst the speed 

 is dependent upon the will of the presiding officer. With a 16 lbs. shot at 

 Coldbath -fields, the average of three inquiries showed that the quantity of 

 air inspired amounted to nearly 4 times the amount at rest, viz., 1800 cubic 

 inches per minute ; and the rate of pulsation was 146 per minute ; but with 

 the 24 lbs. shot the quantities increased to 1850 cubic inches, and 154 pulsa- 

 tions per minute. The increase in the quantity of air inspired corresponded 

 with that observed by Dr. Smith when carrying various weights at the 

 " quick march," viz., an increase of 7 cubic inches for each lb. of weight. 

 Tlie 32 lbs. shot is commonly employed in military prisons, but no experi- 

 ments have been made with it. The chief sense of suffering in this labour 

 is found in the arms and back, from the frequent stooping and lifting which 

 are required, and therefore it is evident that persons of different height 

 and bulk will be influenced variously. 



Emission of Nitrogen. 



The next series of inquiries to which reference will be made, are those 

 which show the influence of prison discipline over the excretion of nitrogen, 

 and which constitute the most laborious and extended portion of these re- 

 searches. They consist of two sets, one of wiiich was prosecuted at Cold- 

 bath-fields under the iunnediate supervision of Dr. Smith, and the other at 

 Wakefield under that of Mr. Milner. The same series were also employed 

 to determine the relation of the ingested and egested nitrogen ; but this part 

 of the inquiry will, as has been already mentioned, be reserved for the second 

 part of this report. 



Experiments at Coldbath-fields Prison*. 



In the first set of inquiries four prisoners in Coldbath-fields prison were 

 selected who had been some time in prison, and who worked the treadwheel 

 on three days in each week. Their ages varied from 22 to 43 years, their 

 lieight from 5 feet 2^ inches to .5 feet 7 inches, and their weight from 

 lOS'l lbs. to 122*6 lbs., and the averages were 32 years, 5 feet 4^ inches, 

 and 113"75lbs. They were spare but in good health, and their habits of 

 body were tolerably regular. By the kindness of the Visiting Justices and 

 the governor of the prison, Mr. Lambert, the third officer, took these men 

 under his immediate charge, and collected the urine, weighed the faeces, 

 weighed the food and the body, superintended the meals, the period of 

 exertion, and the whole general arrangements of the inquiry. The inquiry 

 occupied 26 days. The dietary was uniform, with the exceptions to be 

 presently mentioned, and consisted of 20 ozs. of brown bread, 1 pint of cocoa, 

 1 pint of gruel, 4^ ozs. of lean and 1| oz. of fat cooked meat, 8 ozs. of boiled 

 j)otatoes, 1 oz. (reduced to | oz.) of salt, and 30 ozs. of water ; and one of the 

 men had 6| ozs. of extra bread per day. The average quantity of solid food 

 was 34 oz., and of fluid 70 ozs., daily, besides the ingredients of the gruel 

 and cocoa, and the extra bread of one of the prisoners. The exceptions 

 made in the dietary were as follows: — No salt, except that in the cooked 

 food, was allowed during four days ; and 3g ozs. of extra fat, ^ oz. of tea, 

 1| oz. of coffee, and 2 ozs. of alcohol, were separately given through suc- 

 ceeding periods of three days each. 



* For further details than are included in this Report, see ' Philosophical Transactions,' 

 1861. 



