TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 113 



at the foot. A comparison of the diet of iocloor and outdooi' labourers shows that 

 the former obtain tar less breadstutfs and milk, but both are equal in reference to 

 luxurious foods, as sugar, meat, fat, and tea. When we regard the returns as a 

 whole, it will be seen that an outdoor (farm) labourer's family obtains 13| lbs. of 

 breadstufis, Gi ozs. of sugar, 5 ozs. of fats, 14 ozs. of meats, 52 ozs. of milk, 5 ozs. 

 of cheese, and ^ oz. of tea per adult weekly ; whilst an indoor operative eats 9^ 

 lbs. of breadstuiis, 8 ozs. of sugars, 5 ozs. of fats, 131 ozs. of meats, 18 ozs. of milk, 

 and f oz. of tea per adult weekly. 



The amount of Carhon, ILjdrofjen, and Nitrnyen. — The amount of carbon and 

 nitrogen which is contained in the above dietaries, reckoned per adidt weekly, is as 

 follows : — 



Farm labourers obtained in England 13-2 ozs., in Wales and Anglesea 15-8 ozs., 

 in Scotland 16 ozs., and in Ireland, with the maize dietary, 14-1 ozs., yielding an 

 average of 14'8 ozs. of carbon. The free hydroo:en, when reclconed as carbon, makes 

 the following additions : — England 0'84 oz., Wales and Anglesea 0-89 oz., Scot- 

 land 1-09 oz., and Ireland 1-17 oz. Scotland thus stands at the head and England 

 at the foot ; but a yet higher amoimt is found in the Anglesea dietaries, viz. 19-8 

 ozs. of carbon. Indoor operatives universally obtained a less amount of carbon ; 

 even the well-fed cotton operatives in times of plenty obtained only 13'4 ozs. — a 

 quantity almost identical with that of English farm labourers, but stocking- weavers 

 had 10-9 ozs., shoemakers 10-3 ozs., needlewomen 9-4 ozs., kid-glovers 9-3 ozs., and, 

 least of all, silk-weavers 9 ozs. Hence tlae farm labom-er occupies a much hioher 

 position in his dietary than has heretofore been assinmed, a position also somewhat 

 higher than the standard quantity which I estimated to be necessary from experi- 

 ments upon myself and others, viz. 12-5 ozs. of carbon for the hard-working classes. 

 Whilst the gi-and average in farm labourers was nearly 15 ozs. of carbon, that of 

 three classes of indoor labom-ers was 9j ozs., and the average of the whole was only 

 10 ozs. As to nitrogen, the farm labourers in England obtained daily 242 grs., 

 in Wales and Anglesea 290 grs., in Scotland 335 grs.. and in Ireland, with the 

 maize dietary, 347 grs., yielding a grand total of 300 grs. daily. Anglesea, again, 

 stood the highest of the large divisions of the kingdom, and oiferod 300 grs. daily. 

 There is a marked contrast between tlieso retm-ns and tliose of the indoor la- 

 bourers, if we again except the well-fed cotton operatives, whose dietary furnished 

 249 grs. daily — a quantity almost identical with that of the English labourer ; for 

 stocking-weavers obtained only 188 gi's., shoemakers 190 grs., kid-glovers 175 gi's., 

 silk-weavers 1G4 grs., and needlewomen 135 grs. Hence, whilst the average con- 

 sumption by farm labom-ers was 300 grs., that by indoor labourers was less than 

 200 grs., and thus, contrarj' to general belief, the inhabitants of country districts 

 obtain more food than those of towns. 



Such is the statement of the food obtained by different classes of the community, 

 some doubtless as a whole, and others in part, containing members which are ill- 

 fed. It must, however, be added that a subdivision of th^ class of farm labourers, 

 viz. those living at the farmhouses, obtain far more food than the above quantities 

 represent, and are doubtless amongst the most fully-fed persons in the kingdom. 

 The quantity of carbon and nitrogen contained in the food of a labourer in York- 

 shire was 26^ ozs. and 570 gTS. There were also some labom-ers found who, livino- at 

 home, ate veiy largely, as in Ireland 35 ozs. of carbon and 645 grs. of nitrogen, in 

 Scotland 27 ozs. of carbon and 500 grs. of nitrogen, and in England 23 ozs. of car- 

 bon and 430 grs. of nitrogen per adult daily. On the other hand, some of this class 

 in England obtained only 6i ozs. of carbon and 125 grs. of nitrogen. 



Extremes yet wider apart are found when both indoor and outdoor labourers 

 are considered together. Thxis, one needlewoman ate less than 4 ozs. of carbon and 

 less than 100 grs. of nitrogen, and many of that class obtained less than 5 ozs. of 

 carbon and 120 grs. of nitrogen daily. So wide apart are these numbers, that the 

 highest is nine times greater in carbon and twelve times greater in nitrogen than 

 the least, and yet both alike are the daily food of an adult tiuman being. 



The Lancashire operatives offer, however, the least exceptionable information as 



to the diverse quantities of food which the human body can take for lengthened 



periods and yet remain in good health under both conditions. Thus, on the average 



of the whole inquiries, they obtained 13i ozs. of carbon and 250 grs. of nitrogen daily 



1864. -1 •' 8 



