1854.] ON THE FOOD OF MAN. 161 



If again the question were asked — How much flesh-forming caria, in 1742, pointed to the close resemblance between these 



matter supports an adult man in a normal condition? — no posi- ingredients of flesh, and asked "Is it not true that we are eom- 



tive answer could be given. Even, as respects the relation posed of the same substances which serve as our nourishment?" 



between the carbon in the flesh-forming matter and that of the In fact the simplicity of this view is now generally ac- 



heat-givers, we have no reliable information. It is true that knowledged ; and albumen, gluten, casein, &c, are now recog- 



certain theoretical conclusions on this head have been drawn from nized as flesh-formers in the same sense that any animal 



the composition of flour, but no real statistical answer deduced aliment is. After alluding to the mineral ingredients, attention 



from actual experience exists. was directed to a diet-table, which contained some modifications, 



„., . . ,. - . . but was based on the one published in the Agricultural C'vclo- 



When we inquire into the cause of our ignorance on these dia undel . the ^^ D \ H the table ag sk)WI1 b ■ uged - m 



points it is found that the progress to knowledge is surrounded th<J ca]cu]ation of the dietaries . 

 with difficulties. JN either chemistry nor physiology is m a suffi- 

 ciently advanced state to grapple satisfactorily with the subject The old mode of estimating the value of dietaries, by merely 

 of nutrition. For example, we know that albumen in an egg is giving the total number of ounces of solid food used daily or 

 the starting-point for a whole series of tissues ; that out of 'the weekly, and quite irrespective of its composition, was shown to 

 egg come feathers, claws, fibrine, membranes, cells, blood cor- be quite erroneous ; and an instance was given of an agricultural 

 puscles, nerves, &c, but only the result is known to us; the in- labourer in Gloucestershire, who in the year of the potato famine 

 termediate changes and their causes are quite unknown. After subsisted chiefly on flour, consuming 163 ounces weekly, 

 all, this is but a rude and unsatisfactory knowledge. Hence, which contained 26 ounces of flesh-formers. When potatoes 

 when we approach the subject it is only to deal with very rough cheapened, he returned to a potato-diet, and now eat 321 

 generalities. Admitting that the experience of man in diet is ounces weekly, although his true nutriment in flesh-formers was 

 worth something, it is possible to arrive at some conclusions by only about eight or ten ounces. He showed this further, by 

 the statistical method — that is, by accepting experience in diet calling attention to the six pauper dietaries formerly recom- 

 and analyzing that experience. Take, for example, the one mended, to the difference between the salt and fresh meat dietary 

 general line of Pauper Diet for the English counties placed in of the sailor, &c, all of which, relying on absolute weight alone, 

 the table at the end of this notice. The mode of arriving at had in reality no relation in equivalent nutritive value, 

 the result of experience, in the case of paupers, was to collect it Attention was now directed to the diagrams exemplifying 

 from every workhouse in the kingdom, and then to reduce it to dietaries. Taking the soldier and sailor as illustrating healthy 

 one line. But the labour of this is immense. In the prepara- adult men; they consumed weekly about 35 ounces of flesh- 

 tion of this one line the following work had to be performed ra formers, 70 to 74 ounces of carbon, the relation of the carbon in 

 acquiring the data: tho ne sh-formers to that of the heat-givers being 1:3. If the 



tvt i_ fTT ■ v j i «.,„ dietaries of the aged were contrasted with this, it would be found 



JN umber ot Unions applied to ;.*...;..„. 542 ;;■ . ., & , , a i a? /d on „„\ i * 



at _i c v i / 1 i ,. ," ", >,„„ that they consumed less flesh-formers (25 — 30 ounces,) but 



JNumber ot Jixpianatory letters sent to them 700 ., ' i ,hc *„ o ., i„.- f „„,i, 



■nt u c n 7 1 i- • j. i a, r. Ah *^» rather more heat-givers (72 — 78 ounces;) the relation ot carbon 



Number of Calculations to reduce the results 47,696 • ,, - „ . & ,, . \ ., , ., , ■ ' ■ k „,. ^ . K T . 



■v , c . -,,. ■ , ,, , , , .. „ ' _ in the former to that of the latter being about 1 : o. ihe 



JN umber ot Additions of the above cacuations 6,868 , , i c ° „ l „i, t 



«■•■ , c -c a. -l i j ,i * i — young boy, about ten or twelve years of age, consumed about 



JNumberof Jixtra hours, beyond the office hours, in Ti u a u ic.i. a u t ,„ „ c *i „ „,i„u 



■iA ni i aj xi_ i a- ,o,„ 17 ounces weekly, or about half the flesh-iormers of the adult 



paid to a (Jlerk tor the reduction . ^ ... ^ ... . 1,248 ,i u J i. • -u a ro it j ,i „ „i„*; 



r ' man ; the carbon being about 08 ounces weekly, and the relation 



The statistical method, besides being very laborious, is ex- of the two carbons being nearly 1 : h\. The circumstances 

 tremely tedious, and has thus deterred persons from encountering under which persons are placed influence these proportions con- 

 it. In giving, therefore, an example of some of the results siderably. In workhouses and prisons the warmth renders less 

 which have been collected within the last few years, they will necessary a large amount of food-fuel to the body; while the 

 represent much labour, but very little or no originality. relative amount of labour determines the greater or less amount 



of flesh-formers. Accordingly it is observed that the latter are 



_ The lecturer then alluded shortly to the conditions in nutri- i ncl . ease d to the prisoners exposed to hard labour, From the 



tion, which must be borne m mind in looking at these results, quantity of flesh-formers in the food, we may estimate approxi- 



It was now admitted that the heat of the body was due to the mately the rate of change in the body. Now a man weighing 



combustion of the unazotised ingredients of food. Man inspires 140 lbs. has about 4 lbs! of flesh in blood, 27^- lbs. in his mus- 



annually about 7 cwt. of oxygen, and about one-fifth of this burns cular su bstance, <fec, and about 5 lbs. of nitrogenous matter in 



some constituent and produces heat. The whole carbon in the tne i, mes . These 37 lbs. would be received In food in about 



blood would thus be burned away in about three days, unless eighteen weeks; or, in other words, that period might represent 



new fuel were introduced as food. The amount of food necessary the time required for the change of the tissues, if all changed 



depends upon the number of respirations, the rapidity of the with equa i rapidity, which is, however, not at all probable, 

 pulsations, and the relative capacity of the lungs. Cold increases 



.the number of respirations and heat diminishes them; and the All the carbon taken as food is not burned in the body, part 



lecturer cited well known cases of the voracity of residents in of it being excreted with the waste matter. Supposing the 



Arctic Regions, although he admitted, as an anomaly, that the respirations to be 18 per minute, a man expires about 8.59 oz. 



inhabitants of tropical climates often show a predilection for fatty of carbon daily, the remainder of the carbon appearing in the 



or carbonaceous bodies. He then drew attention to the extra- excreted matter. 



ordinary records of Arctic dietaries shown in the table, which, T , . _, . »,, . . .... , ,. ... 



„;i™,-K-;i. ..i„j.,u » a ■ at. a -o In conclusion, Dr. Flay fair explained how the dietary-tables 



admitting that they are extreme cases, even in the Arctic Re- , 7 , " , r, • j i - a rri a i 



•„„„ „ . . i • • elucidated the various admixtures ot food common to cookery, 



gions, are nevertheless very surprising. ,. , . ,, , , ± , , . L - J { 



° j t- b and j low tne y m ig])t even be made to bear on certain national 



Dr. Playfair then alluded to the second great class of food characteristics, which were in no small degree influenced by the 



ingredients, viz., those of the same composition as flesh. Bee- aliments of different nations, 



2 



