DIET, NUTRITION AND EXCRETION 59 



His average diet for this period contains 57 grammes of protein, 

 31 of fat and 239 of carbohydrate, the heat value being 1502 kilo- 

 calories (Table II). His kidney excretion shows that he meta- 

 bolises 50 grammes of the protein of his food. He weighs 125 lbs. 

 and is IS years of age. His religion does not allow him to eat 

 pork otherwise he has a free choice. 



Brahmin. — The maximum diet taken by this student gives 

 2922 kilocalories, the minimum 2175. The maximum diet consists 

 of wheat 96 grammes, lentils 107, rice (weighed uncooked) 350, 

 butter 76, sugar 14, milk 448 ; the minimum diet consists of wheat 

 63 grammes, onions 49, butter 90 7 beans 126, lentils 140, rice 198, 

 rugar 14, milk 336. The average diet contains 83 grammes of 

 protein, 68 of fat and 371 of carbohydrate (Table II). Judging 

 from his kidney excretion this student metabolises only half of his 

 protein food, namely 41.5 grammes. The other half is simply 

 wasted. It is well known that many vegetarians partake of such 

 bulky and indigestible foods that absorption is interfered with. 

 This student is a strict vegetarian; Brahmins are not allowed to 

 take any animal food except milk. His average daily diet has a 

 heat value of 2493 (Table II) but it is evident that he uses a 

 good deal less than this since only half of the protein food is 

 actually used by his body. He weighs 110 lbs. and is 21 years of 

 age. He has not altered appreciably in weight during the six 

 months of observation. 



Kidney Excretions. 



Ammonia. — The total acidity of the urine cannot be accurately 

 determined, but if the urine be neutralised b} r adding ^~ alkali, 

 some indication can be obtained regarding the acidity. Since the 

 figure thus obtained is of no known clinical importance no more 

 need be said about it. After neutralising the urine as above, 

 neutral formaldehyde is added. Owing to the liberation of acid 

 which takes place when )the formaldehyde has combined with 

 ammonia, the urine acquires again an acid reaction. This second 

 acidity is titrated again with -§- alkali and this second titration is 

 a measure of the amount of ammonia present. The average quan- 

 tity of ammonia excreted by the Chinese is .61 gramme, by the 

 Tamil .63, by the Malay .66 and by the Brahmin .57. An Euro- 

 pean excretes about .7 gramme (Table I). The smaller quantity 

 of. ammonia excreted by the Asiatic is due to the fact that he eats 

 a larger proportion of vegetables than the European. Vegetable 

 foods are very rich in bases which unite with the acids of the blood 

 and thus a smaller quantity of ammonia is required from the 

 tissues in order to keep the blood alkaline. Ammonia formation 

 is the physiological remedy for deficiency of bases and is excessive 

 in certain diseases, e.g., acidosis. 



Chloride.-^- This is estimated by Volhard's method in which 

 all the chlorides are precipitated with an excess of standard silver 



R. A. Soc, No. 76, 1917. 



