Juxy 19, 1918] 
ing 70 kilos, or 154 lb., doing average work 
during eight hours a day the food as pur- 
chased should have an energy value of 3,300 
ealories a day, but that a reduction of 10 per 
cent. could be supported for some time with- 
out injury to health. The commission ac- 
cepted the figures of Professor Lusk, one of 
the representatives of the United States, for 
the proportion to be assigned to women and to 
children of different ages. At the second 
meeting, in Rome, the metric ton (a metric 
ton is 0.9842 ton British) was adopted as the 
unit for estimating the weights of the various 
foods produced in each allied country. A 
“man value ”—that is to say, the number of 
average men equivalent to the population of 
each of the allied countries—was established, 
and was taken as a basis for calculating the 
amount of food to be provided for the ade- 
quate nourishment of the total population of 
each country. An estimate was then formed 
of the home production of the soil furnished 
by each allied country in 1918-19 to serve as 
a basis for determining the amount of food 
available for men and animals, respectively, 
in each country. 
It was not thought desirable to fix a mini- 
mum meat ration, in view of the fact that no 
absolute physiological need exists for meat, 
since the proteins of meat can be replaced by 
other proteins of animal origin, such as those 
contained in milk, cheese and eggs, as well 
as by proteins of vegetable origin. It was, 
however, considered desirable to fix a mini- 
mum ration of fat; this it was decided should 
be 75 grams—about 2% oz. per average man a 
day. It is to be noted that the fat ration may 
be made up from fats partly of vegetable 
origin and partly of animal origin, and the 
commission expresses the opinion that if the 
amount of fat of vegetable origin was found 
to be insufficient it might be necessary to 
maintain a certain stock of animals to make 
good the deficit. 
The commission has recommended that the 
maximum possible proportion of all cereals 
except oats should be reckoned in when cal- 
culating the amount of calories available for 
man. As to milling, it has advised that a 
SCIENCE 61 
uniform extraction of 85 per cent. should be 
adopted in all the allied countries; this will 
vary from 80 per cent. in summer to 90 per 
cent. in winter, and will apply to the United 
States only as regards their internal consump- 
tion, and then only in case of scarcity. While 
man should always take precedence over ani- 
mals in the allocation of food by governments, 
it is recognized that the methods adopted for 
reserving the maximum possible proportion of 
the cereals for the use of man may vary in 
each country. The opinion is therefore ex- 
pressed that in fixing prices it is the prices of 
animal products which should be limited 
rather than those of such vegetable products 
as may serve equally well for feeding men and 
animals. The production of veal, pork and 
poultry at the expense of other food imme- 
diately available for man should therefore be 
discouraged and this may best be done by fix- 
ing prices for those animal products which 
will make it unprofitable for the producer to 
fed the animals on cereals. The chief subject 
now under consideration is the examination of 
statistics which will render it possible to as- 
certain the calorie value of the home pro- 
duction of each of the allied countries. The 
comparison of these figures with the needs in 
calories of the population of each country will 
enable the commission to deduce the amount 
of imports necessary for the maintenance of 
the population, or the exportable surplus, as 
the case may be. 
The commission has also expressed the 
opinion that any propaganda having for its 
object the encouragement of food production 
and of economy in the use of food should be 
organized and directed by men of science well 
acquainted with the subject. The members of 
the commission itself fulfil this condition, to 
the importance of which we had occasion 
some time ago to call attention, for this ele- 
mentary principle was at first neglected in 
this country. It appears that the truth of 
this principle is beginning to be recognized in 
Germany, where voices are being raised in 
favor of consultation of scientific and medical 
experts by the authorities. 
