RICE AS FOOD. 369 



Table V. — The figures from Table IV reduced to 50 kilograins body weight. 



Num- 

 ber of 

 exper- 

 iment. 



Calories. 



4 



2, 250 



2 



2,200 



1 



2, 200 



■i 



2,200 



5 



2,050 



6 



2,050 



7 



2,050 



14 



1, 500 



8 



1,950 



9 



1, 900 



12 



1,550 



13 



1,550 



10 



1.850 



11 



1,850 



Nitrogen 

 intake. 



Per cent. 

 5.0 

 5.5 

 5.5 

 6.0 

 7.5 

 7.5 

 8.5 

 8.5 

 9.0 

 ■ 9.0 

 9.5 

 9. .5. 

 10.5 

 11.5 



Nitrogen 

 balance. 



Per cent. 

 —1.6 

 —0.8 

 -1.7 

 —1.6 

 —3.5 

 —1.6 

 —1.5 

 —0.9 

 —0.4 

 +0.1 

 —0.6 

 —0.6 

 +0.4 

 +0. 5 



Diet. 



•Rice, bacon, sugar, coffee, bananas, rice cake. 



Rice, bread, bacon, sugar, coffee, phytin (No. 6), egg 

 albumin (No. 7). 



Rice, bread, fish, sugar, coffee, and bananas, rice cake 

 (No. 8), rice polishings (No. 11\ 



It was not possible to establish nitrogen equilibrium, even in cases 

 where the nitrogen intake was comparatively high, if the number of 

 calories taken was below 1,800 for 50 kilograms of body weight (see 

 experiments numbered 13, 13, 14) ; on the other hand, if the number 

 1,800 was equalled or exceeded, then 9 grams of nitrogen per 50 kilograms 

 of body weight were sufficient. If a less quantity of nitrogen than the 

 above figure was taken with the food, then the loss of nitrogen exceeded 

 the amount taken, even if the number of calories reached. 2,200. How- 

 ever, with an intake of 5 to 6 grams of nitrogen, the deficit amounted 

 to less than 2 grams (see experiments numbered 1 to 4). Consequently, 

 we are justified in concluding that in some instances 8 grams of nitrogen 

 per 50 kilograms, or 0.16 gram per kilogram of body weight are sufficient 

 This value is higher than the lowest limit found, by other authors, who 

 succeeded in establishing nitrogen equilibrium on 0.1 gram per kilo- 

 gram of body weight. ' 



The question as to whether the quantity of protein given in a certain 

 food will be sufficient or not, is mainly influenced by the proportion of 

 protein absorbed, for that protein which is excreted, unabsorbed, by means 

 of the faeces, obviously is worthless for the nutrition of the body. If from 

 this point of vie-w we consider the nitrogen absorption in our experi- 

 ments, it appears that a subject, given a diet of pure rice, excretes in 

 the fasces about 30 per cent (experiments, numbered 1 and 2), and :ev;en 



