(Xtober 23, 1903.] 



SCIENCE. 



541 



eutTgy value ui these materials, an interest- 

 ing feature of the work being a comparison, on 

 a pecuniary basis, of these and some common 

 foods as sources of protein and energy. In 

 general, it may be said that the chief nutri- 

 ents in fruit consist of sugars and other car- 

 bohydrates and in nuts of jirotein and fat. 

 In other words, while both fruits and nuts 

 furnish the body with energy, nuts furnish 

 some building material (protein) as well. 

 Some idea of the range may be gained from 

 the fact that at ordinary retail prices in the 

 United States, 10 cents expended for fresh 

 grapes will supply the body with about 830 

 calories of energy, and in the case of dried ap- 

 ples or apricots will supply about 1,200 ca- 

 lories, as compared with 6,600 calories from 

 10 cents' worth of wheat flour. In the ease of 

 almonds this sum will supply 0.08 pound pro- 

 tein and about 1,100 calories of energj', and 

 in the case of peanuts 0.28 pound protein 

 and about 2,800 calories, while expended for 

 cheese it would provide 0.17 pound protein and 

 about 1,.300 calories, and for flour 0.46 pound 

 protein, as well as the large amount of energy 

 noted above. 



Although some of the dietaries showed that 

 it is quite possible to obtain the needed pro- 

 tein and energy from a fruitarian diet, the 

 majority of those studied fell below the tenta- 

 tive dietary standards. It is hardly just to 

 ascribe this entirely to the form of diet since 

 the same people might have consumed no 

 larger quantities of nutrients on an ordinary 

 mixed diet. The nutritive value of the fruit- 

 arian diet is pcrhajis most clearly shown in the 

 case of one of these subjects, a university 

 student, who though entirely unaccustomed to 

 such fare gradually changed from an ordi- 

 nary mixed diet to one of fruits and nuts with- 

 out apparent loss of strength or health. He 

 was then able for the eight days of the experi- 

 ment to carry on his usual college duties and 

 for a part of the time also performed heavy 

 physical work on an exclusive fruitarian diet 

 without material loss of weight. 



The cost of the fruitarian diet per person 

 per day varied from 18 to 46 cents, values 

 which compare favorably with those found for 

 an ordinary mixed diet. 



.Mtlumgh it is undoubtedly advisable to 

 wait until more data have been gathered before 

 making definite statements regarding the di- 

 gestibility of different fruits and nuts, enough 

 work has been done to show that they are quite 

 thoroughly digested and have a much higher 

 nutritive value than is popularly attributed 

 to them. In view of this it is certainly an 

 error to consider nuts merely as an accessory 

 to an already heavy meal and to regard fruit 

 merely as something of value for its pleasant 

 flavor or for its hygienic or medicinal virtues. 



As shown by their composition and diges- 

 tibilitj', both fruit and nuts can be favorably 

 compared with other and more common foods. 

 As sources of carbohydrates, fruits at ordinary 

 prices are not expensive ; and as sources of pro- 

 tein and fats, nuts at usual prices are reason- 

 able foods. 



In the investigations at the University of 

 California the question of the wholesomeness 

 of a long-continued diet of fruit and nuts is 

 not taken up. The agreement of one food or 

 another with any person is frequently more 

 or less a matter of personal idiosyncrasy, but 

 it seems fair to say that those with whom nuts 

 and fruits agree can, if they desire, readily se- 

 cure a considerable part of their nutritive ma- 

 terial from such sources. 



sciEyriFic yoTEs axd news. 



The National Academy of Sciences will 

 hold its autumn meeting in Chicago, begin- 

 ning on November 17. 



In accordance with the pleasant custom of 

 German universities, Professor E. W. Hil- 

 gard of the University of California has re- 

 ceived from the University of Heidelberg on 

 the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of his 

 graduation as doctor of philosophy, October 

 7th. a new diploma reconferring the title, 

 which in addition to the previous formula, 

 contains a general summary of the scientific 

 work done by him, with the congratulations of 

 the faculty. On the anniversary day Profess- 

 or llilgard also received a congratulatory ad- 

 dress from his colleagues of the University 

 of California. 



