ON FOODS OF FREE AND JAIL POPULATIONS OF INDIA. 179 
may eat only the flesh of the he-goat offered to some god or goddess. They 
eat pigeons and ducks occasionally, and turtle during the two first months 
of the cold season. They also eat ducks’ and turtles’ eggs, but not fowls’ 
eggs. The Mahomedans eat all kinds of meat, except that of swine and 
turtle. Fish is cheap; milk is dear (14 anna per 2lbs.), Meat costs from 
13 to 3 annas per 2 Ibs. Fruits are largely eaten at each meal; they are 
cheap, and for the most part nutritious and digestible ; twenty-nine kinds are 
named, The dietary in the jail varies with duration of imprisonment (one, 
two, or three months) and labour. (Diets Nos. 5, 6, and 7.) 
5. Dr. E. J. Gaver, of Burrisaul, states that the industrial classes eat two 
meals daily, costing 6 pice each, and each consists of rice 1lb., fish 6 ozs., 
dal 4 ozs., and vegetables 6 ozs. The food is prepared only from the best rice 
(the cheaper kinds being eaten by those who can only afford 4 to 5 pice a 
day), and is made into curry. The foods are all wholesome. The jail dietary 
is very poor—only about half of the dietary in freedom. It is monotonous 
and injurious to health. The weight of the prisoners in 183 cases lessened, 
and on the whole 273 the average loss was 9ozs. The rice is boiled sepa- 
rately, and the fish, dal, &c, made into curry, as in freedom, The kind of 
food varies somewhat with each month. There is no variation in food with 
duration of imprisonment, and on Sunday it is in all cases that of the non- 
labouring class. ; 
6. Dr. J. H. Tuornton, jail at Cherra Poonjee, states that the better class 
live upon rice and fish, the latter fresh (yet decomposed) in the cold season 
and dried in the sun in the rainy season. They also eat boiled vegetables, 
opium, bhang, &c., drink strong spirits, and smoke tobacco. Afterwards they 
eat meat. The poorer Hill-class find rice too expensive, and live upon potatoes 
and other vegetables. In the interior they eat millet, maize, &c. Where 
very poor, they live chiefly upon roots. The diet and habits are most injurious 
to health. The mortality is very great, and fevers, bowel-complaints, rheu- 
matism, &c., prevail. The jail dietary is varied only with the labour. 
(Diet No. 3.) ; 
7. Dr. J. G. Frencu, of Assam, gives an account of the various kinds of 
rice, and of its harvesting and cooking. The poorer class eat from 13 to 2 lbs. 
daily, but the wealthier persons eat only from 10 to 16 ozs., and obtain other 
foods not procurable by the poor. Dal is eaten by the higher classes to the 
extent of 2 to 3o0zs. daily, whilst the poor do not obtain it, or get only the 
coarser kinds. Some kinds are unwholesome, and produce bowel-complaints. 
Fish is very plentiful, except in the heavy rains ; and the small ones, ina state 
of decomposition, are eaten by the poor. The daily quantity is about 4 ozs. 
for the poor and 6 ozs. for the higher classes. Milk is not much used, except 
_by the better classes. Mustard-oil is eaten to the extent of 4 oz. by the poor, 
and loz. by the rich, or the latter obtain ghee. Meat is not eaten by 
Hindoos. Salt to the extent of 3 to 1 oz. is eaten daily, orin its absence the 
ashes of the plantain. Vegetables and fruits are used largely, and a long list 
of them is given, under the heads of, first, leaves and stems ; second, roots and 
fruits ; and third, acid or seasoning articles ; and about 8 ozs. of them a day is 
eaten. 
- Mussulmen eat the same food as the Hindoos, and in addition eat the flesh 
of goats, kids, cows, buffaloes, &c.; but there are not many Mussulmen 
there. Hill-men take food similar to that of the Mussulmen ; and in addition 
eat pigs’, pups’, and leopards’ flesh. They also drink much moad, an intoxi- 
eating drink obtained from rice. The following is the scheme of quantity, 
and cost of food, 
w2 
