64 DIET, NUTEITION AND EXCBETION 



diet and it may be due to the climatic conditions. Europeans are 

 not inclined to take much exercise in the Tropics but they all do 

 so, because it is not possible to keep healthy on an European diet 

 without regular exercise. The writer has made observations (Table 

 I) upon his own kidney excretion, the results showing that he 

 partakes of a diet similar to that taken by him in Scotland. He 

 takes a good deal more exercise in Singapore than he did in Scot- 

 land, although he always took an active interest in out-door games 

 in the latter country. Sir Patrick Manson and others have indi- 

 cated that even in the case of Europeans who do take active exer- 

 cise, a diet of moderate quantity is necessary to maintain health 

 in the Tropics, if long residence is contemplated. An excess of 

 food materials throws too much work on the excretory organs and 

 owing to the usual free diaphoresis, the fluids taken are insufficient 

 to flush the kidneys properly, or to secure adequate excretion of 

 the solid products by that channel. This inadequate excretion will 

 in time injure all the organs (6). The smaller amount of food 

 taken by the Singapore student may be nature's way of counter- 

 acting the evil effects of the climate. 



Judging from McCa}^s research the physique and the muscular 

 energy deteriorate on a small amount of protein. Therefore good 

 physique and great muscular energy are incompatible with pro- 

 longed residence in a climate like that of Singapore. By prolonged 

 residence is meant a generation or more. 



Although the Singapore students who have been under obser- 

 vation do not possess the muscular energy of an European student, 

 they have done quite as much brain work as the average European 

 student. The author has had nine years experience with European 

 students and four years experience with Singapore students. It 

 has been shown that brain work does not require extra food; in 

 other words, a lazy student is just as expensive to feed as an hard 

 working student. A man doing hard mental work in Atwater's 

 respiration chamber gave the same results as when he was resting. 

 Intellectual work has not been found to have any demonstrable 

 quantitative or qualitative effect upon the metabolism of man (7). 



Ranke's standard diet for an European living a sedentary 

 life in Europe is appended (Table II) for purposes of comparison. 



The figures obtained by examination of the Asiatic student's 

 kidney excretions can be explained by the fact that the Asiatic 

 eats a smaller amount of nitrogenous or protein food than the 

 European. It is not likely that these figures will differ very great- 

 ly in the hard working Asiatic coolie, because the coolie does not 

 eat much more protein than the student, but he increases the 

 carbohydrate content of his diet. 



Conclusions. 



1. The results obtained from examination of the kidney excre- 

 tion of local students indicate that the European figures are of no 

 value when dealing with Asiatic patients. 



Jour. Straits Branch 



