308 THE ANIMAL AS A PRIME MOVER. 



The efficiency of the animal, considered as a machine, is now well 

 understood to be dependent, in a large measure, for any given indi- 

 vidual, upon the character of the material in which the stored energy 

 supplied it is presented. It is coming to be understood, also, that the 

 same is true of the vital prime mover, considered as a thought pro- 

 ducer. It is well known, also, that this is an important element in the 

 maintenance of that ideal state, u perfect health," to which we may 

 approximate, but never absolutely reach, and the approximation to 

 which measures approximation to maximum efficiency under otherwise 

 most favorable possible conditions. From this point of view it is inter- 

 esting to study the following summary of the distribution of nutritive 

 and of heat-producing elements in the best dietaries, according to 

 accepted authorities, that have been yet proposed. The nutrients, 

 the nitrogenous matters, are classed as including the muscle of meats, 

 the casein of milk, the gluten of grains; while the fats and carbo- 

 hydrates are taken as purely heat producing, and the following diagram 

 and tables, from the report of 1893 of the Elmira Reformatory, gives 

 the best condensed view of the data required that the writer has yet 

 seen. 1 



The standard dietary for man is usually given as not far from a weight 

 of 700 grams, of which about 60 per cent is generally starchy food, 20 

 per cent fats, and the remainder nitrogenous; the potential energy 

 stored is about 3,650 calories. 2 But while the actual dietaries are com- 

 monly largely composed of animal food, it should be at all times remem- 

 bered that the teachings of comparative anatomy and of general 

 experience, so far as careful observation informs us, indicate that the 

 vegetable starches and fats and proteins are more suitable for the animal 

 prime motor, and even still more to the thought machine than the 

 carnivorous foods. 3 



It will be noted that the lower limit of supply ranges close upon 400 

 grams, 2,000 calories, 8,000 British thermal units for little or no labor; 

 that is not far from 600 grams, 3,000 calories, 12,000 British thermal 

 units for the workingman ; while double these figures may be reached. 



1 The Eighteenth Yearbook of the New York State Reformatory, at Elmira, 

 issued, under the supervision of its distinguished and successful superintendent, as 

 wholly the product of the talent of its officers and of the manual skill and the taste 

 of its inmates, contains exceedingly valuable and interesting accounts of the 

 manual training system and trade schools there so fruitfully operated. 



2 For present jmrposes it will be sufficiently accurate to take the gram as one- 

 thirtieth of an ounce and the calorie as four British thermal units. 



'■' See particularly, Schlickenysen; " Fruit and bread; a scientific diet ; " Holbrook's 

 translation, 1877. See also various papers of The Anthropological Institute of 

 Great Britain, as that of C. O. Groom, Napier, and the address of Dr. Denis at 

 the International Congress of Anthropology, of 1892 ; which papers and various 

 researches now becoming familiar, show the influence of the character of the 

 energy-storing material supplied the vital engine upon its power and efficiency 

 in both fields of application of kinetic energy derived from the original store of 

 potential. 



