DIET NUTRITION AND EXCRETION IN SINGAPORE. 109 



Chinese Prisoners. — Six first class prisoners at the gaol were 

 next employed, under the supervision of the assistant surgeon. 

 They furnished material for 36 observations. Their daily diet, 

 which is fixed by statute and which is considered to be generous for 

 local labourers, consists of cocoanut oil 28 grammes, fresh meat 

 (with bone) 112, rice (weighed uncooked) 448, salt 7, fish (with 

 bone) 84, vegetables 336 and bread 112. This contains 8-1 gram- 

 mes of protein, 50 of fat and 432 of carbohydrate, the heat value 

 being 2580 kilocalories. 



The average age of the prisoners was 40 years and the average 

 weight 137 lbs. The average length of time on the above diet was 

 3 years 4 months. The prisoners were all employed in the prison 

 kitchen. Before their confinement they were variously employed — 

 fisherman, rubber estate coolie, tapioca, estate coolie, bullock cart 

 driver, shopkeeper and shop coolie. 



The average figures for the kidney excretions were nitrogen 

 11.4 grammes, urea 21, uric acid 0.43, ammonia 0.75, chloride 5.5 

 and phosphate 1.8 (Table T). 



Judging from the nitrogen excretion they metabolised on an 

 average only 71.2 of the 84 grammes of protein of the food. (Table 



II). 



Commentary. 



Looking at the average figures for the kidney excretions 

 (.Table 1) it will be seen that there is considerable variation for 

 different occupations, after making allowance for the weight. The 

 amount of nitrogen excreted per kilogram of body weig-ht is shown 

 in one column of Table I. The averag-e figures usually given in 

 text books of Physiology for Europeans in Europe are ap- 

 pended. These figures are the standard figures used for teaching 

 purposes, and the figures for manual labourers in Europe are higher 

 than these. A glance will show that the figures for the nitrogen 

 and urea are much lower in the case of the Asiatic labourer in 

 Singapore. This is due to the fact that he metabolises less protein 

 than the European. He also has less energy. Our local gardeners 

 cannot be regarded as hard workers from a European point of view. 

 The estate coolies and rickshaw runner rank amongst our hardest 

 muscular workers. McC'ay (3) has shown that a European possesses 

 better physique and greater muscular energy than an Asiatic be- 

 cause the former metabolises a larger quantity of protein. Looking 

 at Table II it will be seen that my figures support this view. The 

 average figure for a European doing moderate labour in Europe is 

 125 grammes, whereas 71. 2 is the highest figure obtained in my 

 experiments with the local labourer. On the other hand the carbo- 

 hydrate part of the diet is increased in amount, relatively and 

 absolutely, in the case of the Asiatic. 



Judging from the amount of 'protein of the diet, accounted for 

 in the kidney excretion the calorific value of the Asiatic 

 labourers metabolised food (Table II) is a good deal below that 

 of the European, allowance being made for the difference in weight, 



-T?. A. Soc. Xo. so. 



