THE DIGESTIBILITY OF THE DASHEEN. 3 
were not restricted with respect to the amounts of the accessary foods 
eaten. As a result the amounts of food eaten during the different 
test periods varied quite materially. 
SUBJECTS. 
The subjects who assisted in this investigation were strong, healthy 
men, with normal appetites and digestive functions, whose ages 
varied from 20 to 40 years. With one exception they were all stu- 
dents in local institutions. Since all had more or less muscular ex- 
ercise, it seems fair to regard them as engaged in light muscular 
work rather than as of sedentary occupation. Their normal dietary 
was simple and, except that it contained meat, was not materially 
different from that of the experimental periods and, accordingly, 
the change from one type of diet to the other was not accompanied 
by any noticeable physiological disturbances. The subjects were in- 
structed to submit a report of their physical condition during the 
experimental period and in every instance they stated that they were 
in normal condition. Inasmuch as this study of the dasheen was 
primarily concerned with the coefficients of digestibility, no attempt 
was made to maintain a uniform body weight and no record was 
kept of the weight of the subjects. The ration for each subject was 
prepared and weighed in advance. They were instructed to reserve 
any uneaten portions of the diet for analysis, and how to collect feces 
resulting from the experimental diet. 
RELATION BETWEEN MATURITY AND DIGESTIBILITY. 
In addition to considering the general question of digestibility it 
seemed desirable also to determine whether or not maturity of the 
dasheen influenced their digestibility. Obviously, for this purpose 
dasheens were needed which were as nearly alike as possible except 
in respect to maturity at the time of harvesting. The Office of 
Foreign Seed and Plant Introduction of the Bureau of Plant Indus- 
try, accordingly provided representative samples of immature and 
mature dasheens grown under controlled conditions at the plant 
introduction field station, Brooksville, Fla. Rows which were ad- 
judged to be typical of the field were chosen, and about six weeks 
before the usual harvesting time the alternate plants were harvested 
and their entire root systems forwarded to this laboratory as were 
also the tubers of the remaining plants when later they were con- 
sidered to be mature. The tubers in both cases were eaten less than 
a week after being removed from the ground. 
