May 24, 1918] 



SCIENCE 



505 



sumption in the training camps as shown 

 by our surveys is to date just a little less 

 than 4,000 calories. On this diet, supple- 

 mented of course bj- a certain consumption 

 of food from the camp exchanges, the men 

 have gained in weight on an average of 

 about 9 pounds since entering the training 

 camps. Some organizations even show an 

 average gain of as much as 20 pounds, 

 others only 2 or 3 pounds, but the average 

 throughout the army, according to the best 



closely compared with the work of a farmer. 

 According to an article published recently 

 in Nature, the average consumption of food 

 among the English munition workers for 

 1917 where more than 18,000 observations 

 were taken, is 3,463 calories. Summarizing 

 again, we may say the average American 

 farmer uses about 3,500 calories, the aver- 

 age English munition worker very nearly 

 the same, the average soldier of the Allies, 

 considering British, Canadian, French, 



TABLE in 



Family Dietary Studies 



Per " Man "JperlDay 



Calories 



Garment makers 



Professional men ....... 



Teachers 



Farmers 



Engineers (professional) 



Laborers 



Salesmen 



Mechanics 



Mother wage earners . . 



Retired 



Clerks 



Weighted averages . . 



.38 



.564 



.473 



.436 



.526 



.35 



.449 



.44 



.33 



.48 



.50 



109 

 99 

 88 



101 

 85 

 94 

 88 

 95 



105 

 81 

 90 



80 

 149 

 126 

 130 

 124 

 102 

 111 

 113 



66 

 121 

 119 



494 

 438 

 428 

 503 

 395 

 481 

 405 

 444 

 440 

 420 

 417 



3.130 

 3,490 

 3,200 

 3,585 

 3,035 

 3,220 

 2,970 

 3,175 

 2,955 

 3,095 

 3,040 



.438 



3,180 



information we can obtain to-daj% is in the 

 neighborhood of 9 pounds per man. Com- 

 pare with this army ration, the average 

 consumption of food as shown by recent 

 family dietary studies made by the Bureau 

 of Home Economies under Dr. Langworthy 

 at the Department of Agriculture (Table 

 III.).- Note that the consumption of food 

 per man per day in farmers' families is 

 quite similar to that as already shown for 

 the average allied soldier in training. The 

 work of the soldier in training, therefore, 

 so far as its intensitj' is concerned, may be 



2 Through Dr. Langworthy 's courtesy I am per- 

 mitted to show these figures for the first time. 



3 ' ' Man " = all members of the family reduced 

 to the basis of men. 



* Average 110 families. 



Italian and American forces, in training 

 camps about the same amount and in actual 

 campaigns some 500 calories more. 



Another problem in which we have been 

 greatly interested is whether the soldiers 

 should be given all the sweets they crave. 

 Our survey parties in the military camps 

 have determined the actual consumption of 

 food from the exchanges or "canteens," as 

 they used to be called, as well as from the 

 mess house. In one camp where there was 

 but a single exchange, it was possible to 

 determine the average consumption with a 

 high degree of accuracy. In these canteens 

 or regimental exchanges, the foods which 

 are bought by the soldiers are for the most 

 part candies and light drinks (the food 

 value of which is represented entirely by a 



