LOW PROTEIN DIETARIES 



107 



We would add that care should be taken that vita mines and lipoids 

 are present in the dietary, and that the former are not destroyed 

 entirely by cooking. 



Water should be freely supplied in tropical towns — e.g., Calcutta 

 and Peshawar allow 4-15 gallons per head per diem of filtered water, 

 but many tropical towns are not so well provided, and the minimum 

 in the tropics for drinking purposes should be 3 to 4 pints per head 

 per diem. 



Salts are also of great importance, and usually present in the 

 food, but with much vegetal food addition of ordinary table salt 

 is necessary. 



LOW PROTEIN DIETARIES. 



In tropical lands there are many peoples who live mainly upon 

 cooked cultivated vegetal foods, with but little admixture of animal 

 foods, and this is due to force of circumstances rather than to any 

 desire of the peoples, who would be glad enough to eat animal food 

 if it could be obtained. Among these peoples the protein in the food 

 sinks to a very low amount, with, as we shall presently see, a 

 markedly deteriorating influence on the race. 



The effects produced by this low protein standard may be illus- 

 trated by the following table, which is given by McCay to exemplify 

 the differences in the diets of Bengalis as compared with those of 

 Anglo-Indians and Eurasians: — 



Food. 





Bengalis I. 



' Bengalis II . 



Anglo-Indians 

 and 

 Etirasians. 



Proteids in grammes 

 Carbohydrates 



in 







Gj'ii 



43*61 



86-56 



grammes 

 Fats in grammes 





548-73 

 71*55 



200*31 

 33*92 



376*53 

 54*75 



McCay, in his excellent works quoted at the end of this chapter, 

 has shown that when the protein standard of a tropical dietary is 

 very low, then the physique, the capacity for work, the health, and 

 the resistance against disease are also lowered, and he has illustrated 

 these facts by reference to the rice-eating Bengali. Moreover, he 

 has answered his critics in a most able manner, and has demonstrated 

 by comparing closely-allied tribes living under identical conditions 

 of climate, solar irradiation, sexual excesses, early marriage, etc., 

 that it is the influence exerted by the food, and particularly by the 

 proteins of the food, that is all-important in determining the degree 

 of muscular power, the general physical endowment, the powers of 

 endurance, the resistance to disease, and, most important of all, 

 the place which a tribe or race has won for itself in manliness, 

 courage, and soldierly instincts. It is impossible to discuss at length 

 in this place the facts which he has adduced, but certain important 

 results may be briefly mentioned. 



