10 BULLETIN 612, IT. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



of the dasheen carbohydrates is concerned, it would seem immaterial 

 whether the well-grown dasheen is mature or immature when 

 harvested. 



The difference in the amounts of carbohydrates supplied by the 

 total diet eaten per subject per day in the various tests was quite 

 large, varying from a minimum of 176 grams in experiment No. 520 

 to a maximum of 290 grams in experiment No. 522, with an average 

 daily consumption of 231 grams. On the whole, the differences in the 

 values obtained for the digestibility of the carbohydrates with the 

 different subjects in the different tests is small, and such variations as 

 were found in the digestibilty of the carbohydrates did not corre- 

 spond to observed variations in the amounts of carbohydrates eaten. 



Comparing the average value found for the digestibility of the 

 carbohydrates of the dasheen, 97.6 per cent, with that reported for the 

 carbohydrates of the potato, no significant difference is found. 

 Bryant and Milner 1 on the basis of three experiments report the 

 digestibility of potato carbohydrates to be 99.0 per cent; in an ex- 

 periment reported by Eubner 2 the coefficient of digestibility was 

 92.4 per cent ; while Constantinidi 3 found that an average of 

 99.6 per cent of the potato carbohydrates was utilized by the human 

 body. 



CONCLUSIONS. 



In 10 digestion experiments with men, mature and immature dasheens 

 were eaten in conjunction with common food materials in a simple 

 mixed diet. The average coefficients of digestibility for the total 

 diet were: Protein, 80.8 per cent; fat, 96.1 per cent; and carbohy- 

 drates, 97.6 per cent. 



The value obtained for the digestibility of the carbohydrates, 97.6 

 per cent, which for all practical purposes represents the digestibility 

 of the dasheen carbohydrates, compares very favorably with that of 

 potatoes, the common vegetable most resembling the dasheen. 



The subjects of their own volition ate on an average approximately 

 li pounds of dasheen daily without any observed physiological dis- 

 turbances, which would indicate that considerable amounts of 

 dasheens may be safely used in the dietary and that they are 

 palatable. 



The results here reported were obtained from dasheens cooked by 

 one method only ; in the absence of data to the contrary it may be 



lAmer. Jour. Physiol., 10 (1903), No. 2, p. 96. 

 sZtschr. Biol., 15 (1879), No. 1, p. 148. 

 BZtschr. Biol., 23 (1887), p. 449. 



