THE DIGESTIBILITY OF BREAD. 

 Chas. D. Woods and L, H. Merrill. 



The experiments here reported were undertaken for the pur- 

 pose of ascertaining the comparative digestibility of breads from 

 ordinary bread flour, graham flour and so-called entire wheat 

 flour. Preliminary experiments made by one of us in 1894 had 

 shown that, for (See digestion experiments i to 5 and 9 pp. 

 168 to 170, Report Storrs [Conn.] Experiment Station for 1896) 

 the subject there used,, neither bread nor milk when eaten sepa- 

 rately were as completely digested as when bread and milk 

 were eaten together. The experiments here reported shpw that 

 bread and milk are more completely digested than bread alone,, 

 (compare experiments i to 4 and 5 to 8, 16 to 19 in table on 

 p. 193). In the comparative experiments here reported, the 

 breads were not eaten alone, but were taken with milk, butter 

 and sugar. To reduce the results obtained in this mixed diet 

 to the breads alone necessitated the use of more or less arbitrary 

 factors for the food materials eaten with the bread. 



After a careful study of the results of digestion experiments 

 made in this country and Germany, the following factors (per- 

 centages of availability) were assumed in calculating the results 

 here reported to bread alone. 



Protein. Fats. Carbo- 



liydrates. 

 % % % 



Milk 98 99 98 



Butter — 99 



Sugar ~ -- 98 



The application of these factors to other experiments, as well 

 as these here reported upon, seemed to give results that indicate 

 that these are the approximate percentages of availability for the 

 nutrients of these food materials. These applications to the 

 figures obtained in the digestion experiments reported on pages 



