TROPICAL FOODS 



Thus, he has drawn attention to the great difference in the analysis of the 

 blood of male Bengahs in India, as compared with that of the blood of Euro- 

 peans in Europe, as set forth in the following table: — 



Nature of Observation. 



Male Bengalis in 

 India. 



Europeans in 

 Europe. 



Erythrocytes 

 Leucocytes 



Haemoglobin (Haldane's 



method) 

 Colour index 

 Water 



Total solids . . 

 Proteids 



Salts 



Blood-pressure in brachial 

 by Riva-Rocci's sphyg- 

 momanometer 



Ratio of salts in the urine to 

 those in the blood 



5,300,000 

 9,000 

 81 



0'74 to 0-85 

 78-88 



2I'I2 

 18-26 



i-o6 



100 millimetres 

 Hyg. 



5,193,000 

 7-500 

 100 



o'95 to i-i 

 78-87 

 21-13 

 19-17 

 0-78 

 110 to 130 milli- 

 metres Hyg. 



His observations show that too little protein in the food affects the growth 

 of the Bengali boy, who grows up slender, and is defective in vigour and 

 vitality; and in conjunction with Bannarji, Dutton, and Ghosal, he has demon- 

 strated the differences in the constitutents of the urine in male Bengalis in 

 India, as compared with male Europeans in Europe, as is shown in this table :— 



Constituent in the Urine. 



Quantity 

 Specific gravity 

 Urea . . 



Total nitrogen 

 Chlorides 



Phosphates . . 



N : PgOg ratio 

 Uric acid 



Total sulphates 

 Ethereal sulphates 



1,177 o.c. 

 1,006 to 1,024 

 5-56 to 19-68 grammes 



per diem 

 5-9 grammes per diem 

 9-43 grammes per 

 diem 



0-95 to 1-4 grammes 

 per diem 

 5 or 6 : I 

 0-48 gramme per 

 diem 



1*75 to 2-2 grammes 

 0-15 to o»22 gramme 



Male Europeans in 

 Europe. 



1,200 to 1,500 c.c. 



1,015 to 1,025 

 30 to 35 grammes 



per diem 

 14 to 18 grammes 

 15 grammes per 



diem 

 2 to 3-5 grammes 

 per diem 

 Practically the same 

 0-3 to 7 grammes per 

 diem 

 2*5 to 3 grammes 



These are most important conclusions, and we must state that 

 our own observations in tropical practice support McCay, and are 

 directly in opposition to Chittenden's observations. We have 

 observed that when persons in good health have for some time carried 

 out Chittenden's dietary, the result has often been sharp attacks 

 of illness, indicating a lowered resistance to disease. 



