560 
On the Treatment of Decayed Potatoes, &, c. 
would suffice — the amount of true nutriment in each being in the 
proportion of 1 : 6. All food then has two distinct purposes — the 
formation of flesh, and the sustenance of animal heat. The sub- 
stances in vegetables destined for the formation of flesh are per- 
fectly identical with it in composition, and are known by the 
names of gluten, albumen, fibrin or casein ; those which arc 
suited for the support of animal heat are not at all similarly com- 
posed to flesh, and consist of starch,* gum, sugar, &c. Knowing 
these facts, it becomes a money question as to the value of par- 
ticular kinds of food for the support of the frame. We know 
how much of flesh-giving principle each variety of food contains, 
and therefore we can at once estimate how much of each it will 
be necessary to consume to obtain 1 pound of real nutriment, and 
what the cost of that pound will be to the consumer. The fol- 
lowing table is constructed on this principle, but as prices vary in 
different localities, these may be altered to suit the peculiar case : 
in the table, they are given at the rate at which the respective 
substances might be purchased in London under favourable 
circumstances. -j- 
Quantity of Food necessary to produce 1 lb. of Flesh, and the Money- 
Cost of its production. 
£. 
s. 
d. 
25 lbs. 
of milk furnish 1 lb. flesli, and cost . 
. 0 
3 
1 
100 ,, 
turnips , , 
. 0 
2 
9 
50 
potatoes , , . , 
. 0 
2 
1 
50 
carrots , , 
. 0 
2 
1 
4 
butcher's meat, free from fat and bune, 
furnish 1 lb. of flesh, and cost 
. 0 
2 
0 
9 
oatmeal , , 
. 0 
1 
10 
barleymeal , , 
. 0 
1 
2 
' 1 0 ) > 
bread , , 
. 0 
1 
2 
' 1 a J ' 
flour , , 
. 0 
1 
2 
"a > J 
peas , , 
. 0 
0 
7 
>-' 1 0 » > 
beans , , 
. 0 
0 
The extremes shown by this Table are very remarkable : for 
while it would require only 3 lbs. of beans to furnish 1 lb. of 
flesh-giving principle, it would require 50 lbs. of jjotatoes, or 
100 lbs. of turnips to yield the same amount, at a cost four times 
* When so much starch is being made Irom diseased potatoes, it must 
always be borne in mind that it is not nutritious, properly so to speak ; 
that an animal led upon it alone would die nearly as soon as if deprived of 
food altogether. It is fuel for supporting animal heat, and therefore forms 
an excellent addition to meal, flour, or peas. 
t Of course each person will find some errors in the prices attached to 
the articles as shown by his own experience, and he may correct them 
by the data given in the first cohunn ; the ditt'erence will, however, be 
merely relative, and not att'ect the general result. A very useful lecture 
on the money-cost of food has been given by Mr. Ransome at Manchester. 
