BULLETIN 525, U. S. DEP.\ETMENT O'F AGRICULTURE. 



iSiiDiDiiirii. 





Subject. 



Digestibility of entire ration. 



Esti- 

 mated di- 

 gestibility 

 of protein 

 of bread 



alone. 



Esti- 

 mated di- 



Kxixiriment No. 



Protein. 



Fat. 



Carbohy- 

 drates. 



Ash. 



gestibility 

 of carbo- 

 hydrates 

 of bread 

 alone. 



408 



D.G.G 



n.R.G 



A. J. II 



Per cent. 

 43.5 

 41.4 



48.8 

 07.2 



Per cent. 

 9G.2 

 95.5 

 93.0 

 90.6 



Per cent. 



95.5 

 93.5 

 93. 5 

 95. S 



Per cent. 

 77.0 

 77.5 

 73.4 

 SI. 5 



Per cent. 

 32.9 

 30.7 

 37.4 

 63.9 



Percent. 

 96.2 



469 



93.9 



470 



98.2 



471 



P. K 



96.6 





Average 







50.2 



95.3 



95.3 



77.4 



41.2 



96.2 



The total amount of food eaten on the average per subject per 

 day was for the expermients with common millet, 1,000 grams, and 

 with proso, 1,084 grams, which furnished 49 grams of protein, 123 

 grams of fat, 323 grams of carbohydrates in the millet experiments, 

 and 45 grams of protein, 140 grams of fat, and 295 grams of carbo- 

 hydrates in the proso experiments. Inasmuch as the subjects ate 

 of the ration according to individual inclination, the heat of combus- 

 tion varied quite materially — from a maximum of 3,080 calories to 

 a minimum of 2,140 calories per day, as computed by the factors 

 commonly used in the determination of fuel values of foods. 



Notwithstanding the quantity eaten, the amount of protein sup- 

 plied by the ration was low, being on an average less than 50 grams 

 per day, due to the low protein content of the bread prepared from 

 these grains and to its bulky nature. 



The values reported for the digestibility of fat of the entire ration 

 more truly represent the digestibility of butter than of the cereal 

 fats, since the latter were present in such relatively small quantities. 

 The values, 94.4 per cent and 95.3 per cent, for the millet and 

 proso rations, respectiveh^, agree with the values for the digesti- 

 bility of butter reported in connection with a study of the digesti- 

 bility of hard palates of cattle and in a study of the digestibility 

 of butter, which were 94.6 per cent ^ and 97 per cent,^ respectively. 



The breads made from bolted millet and proso meal do not show 

 a high digestibility for protein in these experiments, the values being 

 35.8 per cent for millet protein and 41.2 per cent for proso protein. 

 There was no marked diiference in the flavor of the millet and proso 

 Ijreads. In India, where they are regarded as important foodstuffs, 

 these grains are commonly boiled, and it is possible that thus pre- 

 pared they might be more thoroughly dige.sted. 



HJ. S. Dept. Agr., Jour. Agr. Research, G (1910), No. IT, p. 647. 

 »U. S. Dept. Agr. Bui. 310 (1915), p. 21. 



