lOO 



TROPICAL FOODS 



ties of fish, eggs, beef, and pork. He consumes about 20 to 30 



ounces of beef or mutton per diem, which works out at 158 

 grammes of protein and 5,050 Calories. 



Light-worked Japanese require 100 grammes of protein and about 

 3,000 Calories per diem. 



In India, McCay determined the amount of nitrogen excreted 

 daily in the urine, and adding to this the other metabolized nitrogen 

 mentioned above, and converting this into terms of protein, obtained 

 the absorbed protein, which, he calculated, was 75 per cent, of the 

 dietary protein. 



For example, the urinary nitrogen being 6 grammes, which is the 

 equivalent of 35-5 grammes of absorbed protein, adding to this 

 the other metabolized nitrogen and 25 per cent, for that lacking, 

 he concludes that the average rice-eating Bengali of 50 kilogrammes 

 weight only uses 55 grammes of protein per diem^ — or, in other 

 words, lives on a poorer protein supply than any other race investi- 

 gated. 



Further, this rice-eating Bengali exemplifies on a large scale the 

 results of Chittenden's experiments, and as claimed by this experi- 

 menter, should exhibit good bodily health, great working power, and 

 freedom from disease, whereas he shows none of these traits, and, as a 

 matter of fact, the reverse is true. 



Our own experiences of Chittenden's dietary in the tropics is that 

 the experiment, if continued sufficiently long, lowers the resistance 

 of the body against disease ; and this can scarcely be surprising, as he 

 maintains that 0-12 gramme of nitrogen per diem per kilogramme 

 of body weight is sufficient J,to keep a man in health. This is certainly 

 not so in the tropics. And we doubt its general application to 

 temperate and cold climates, where one would expect more food to be 

 required. 



Chittenden's figures of the nitrogen metabolized per kilogramme 

 of body weight may be compared with Voit, McCay's, and Oshima's 

 figures as follows : — 



Bengalis and Ooriyas (rice diet largely) 

 Chittenden . . 



Beharis and Eastern Bengalis 

 Japanese poorer classes 

 Nepalese 

 Sikkim Bhutias 

 Average European . . 

 Thibetan and Bholan Bhutias 

 Nepalese Bhutias 



0'Il6-0*I20 

 O I20-0»I30 



0'i40-o»i6o 

 0.177 



o»i8o-0'25o 



0-250 



0*270 



0*420 



Indeed, McCay found that Indian dandy carriers, Indian 

 rickshaw-men, and Indian coolies performing exceedingly hard 

 work, did so on a diet containing 175-200 grammes of protein 

 and 6,300-6,500 Calories per diem, whereas the British Army 

 ration mentioned above only allows 175 grammes of protein and 

 4,855 Calories. 



