498 Proceedings of Royal Society of Edinburgh. [sess. 
A Study of Three Vegetarian Diets. By D. Noel Pat on 
and J. C. Dunlop. 
( From the Research Laboratory of the Royal College of 
Physicians , Edinburgh.) 
(MS. received February 24th, 1905. Read March 6th, 1905.) 
The recent publication of Prof. Chittenden’s Physiological 
Economy in Nutrition tends to establish a new standard of 
dietary requirements, if not for the labouring classes, at least for 
men, middle-aged and young, who are not undergoing continued 
and sustained muscular work. 
He records a prolonged series of observations upon himself and 
on his colleagues, representing professional men, on soldiers and 
upon student athletes. In the first class, health and undiminished 
working capacity were sustained for 7 to 9 months on a diet con- 
taining only about 46 grms. of proteid per diem, and yielding only 
from 1550 to 2530 Calories of energy. In the group of soldiers, 
44 to 50 grms. of proteid and from 2500 to 2800 Calories of 
energy were sufficient to maintain their working power ; and in the 
case of the students 55 grms. of proteid and under 3000 Calories 
of energy were found to be sufficient to meet the dietary require- 
ments of men in training. 
Prom the fact that most of the diets of those able to select 
their food contain at least 100 grms. of proteid, it has been, 
perhaps too readily, assumed that this amount of proteid is 
essential for the maintenance of health and a good state of 
muscular activity. Chittenden has certainly shown that adult 
men not subjected to sustained muscular exertion can maintain 
themselves in a state of good muscular development on less than 
half this amount. He does not, however, touch the question of 
whether, in growing children, pregnant women, and labouring 
men, it is advantageous or, indeed, possible to reduce the proportion 
of proteids in the diet to anything like this extent. 
