69 REPORT — 1861. 



Experiments at the Wakefield Prison. Appendix X. 



Ill June 1861 another series of inquiries were prosecuted in Wakefield Goal 

 of a character similar to those just related. Mr. Milner took charge of all 

 the observations which were made within the prison ; Dr. Smith made the 

 analyses for urea and chloride of sodium ; and Mr. Manning kindly deter- 

 nn'iied the dry matter and the nitrogen in the food, faeces, and urine. 



Four men of regular habits and in good state of health were selected. 

 Two were weavers of cocoa matting, which is a very laborious occupation, 

 find two were tailors. Their ages were 19, 22, 24', and 28 years; tlieir height 

 was 64f, 66, 66f, and 67 inches, and their weight was 118 lbs. 11 02s., 

 125 lbs. 12i ozs., J46 lbs. 11-3 q^s., and 146 lbs. 15| ozs. The girth around 

 the nipples was 32|- inches, 841 in., 35f in., and 35| in., giving an average 

 of nearly 34| inches. The total averages of age, height, weight, and girth 

 were 23^ years, 66*1 inches, 134 lbs. 8f ozs., and 34^ inches. 



They had been fed on the highest class of prison dietary ; but as that con- 

 sisted of some variety of food, it was deemed advisable to give them a uni- 

 form daily diet during one week before the experiments began, and it was 

 continued without intermission until the inquiry terminated. 



The food supplied daily was in part fixed, and in other part variable in 

 quantity. The fixed quantities were those of meat, oatmeal, and potato, 

 and the variable ones those of bread, salt, and water. Milk was given in a 

 fixed quantity, but the amount supplied was not uniform in both classes of 

 prisoners. 



The meat consisted of 5 ozs. of lean and 1 oz. of fat cooked beef, without 

 bone. The supply of oatmeal was 2 ozs., and 16 ozs. of cooked potato; 20 ozs. 

 of skimmed milk were given to the tailors, and 25 ozs. to the weavers. The 

 daily quantity of bread eaten was on the average SO'4 ozs. by the tailors, 

 and 34'3 ozs. by the weavers, or a general total of 27 35 ozs. 136*5 grs. of 

 chloride of sodium were eaten (besides that contained in the bread) by the 

 tailors, and 63"5 grs. by the weavers, giving an average of 100 grs. ; but 

 there was some considerable variation from day to day. One of the tailors 

 ate an average quantity of 199"3 grs. ; whilst the other tailor ate only 73'8 grs. 



The quantity of water which was drunk, besides that contained in 1 pint 

 of gruel, was only 23'8 ozs. on the average, giving with the milk a total sup- 

 ply of fluid of 66'3 ozs. The weavers drank much more than the tailors, 

 and the total daily quantities in the two classes was 80*5 ozs. and 52*1 ozs. 

 The solid food was 51"8 ozs., and the fluid 66*3 ozs., or a total of 118 ounces 

 daily. 



The men arose at 6 a.m., and having passed urine and faeces were imme- 

 diately weighed. The scales employed were good ones, and the weight was 

 taken to 5th of an ounce. The prisoners were weighed naked. The weight 

 of the faeces and urine was ascertained daily, by the aid of balances kindly 

 lent by Messrs. Avery, of Birmingham, up to 6 1 a.m.; and the degree of con- 

 sistence of the faeces was recorded under five heads, viz. scybalous, well- 

 formed, formed but soon subsiding, soft, and liquid. A fair sample of the 

 bread, oatmeal, potato, meat, and milk was sent up to Mr. Manning from 

 time to time as changes in the supply occurred. A portion of the mixed 

 quantities of faeces and the urine of each set of prisoners was most carefully 

 taken and sent for analysis daily ; but delay sometimes occurred in the trans- 

 mission, so that the analyses were usually made on the third day after the 

 evacuation. The greatest care was taken to avoid loss by evaporation and 

 otherwise, and to prevent decomposition. The observations included thirteen 

 days besides the week of preliminary dietary, and the following are the 

 principal results which have been obtained : — 



