Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 7.djvu/230

212 DIETETICS yet he has never probably experienced the content which arises from a /w.ri<s-consumption of food. It is intended to deny him the normal pleasure of the accumulation of reserve-force in the gastric region. This pleasurable sensa tion under ordinary circumstances much promotes diges tion, so that the whole of the ingesta are made the best use of ; and therefore in " penal diet," as above quoted, it has been found expedient to introduce the slight excess to be noticed above what is needful to accomplish the required woik in " foot-tons " (see before). The penalty of the regimen involves a certain degree of waste. A close imitation of "penal diet" is that which the duty of a responsible Government demands should be served out during a temporary famine, that is, one calculated not to last above three months. It is more economical to intro duce the elements of variety in the diet than to be too monotonous, that is, to save in the daily issue and to be occasionally liberal, to feast fro in time to time as a break in the regular fast. The expense of the excess is more than replaced by the diminished habitual ration, and that powerful preservative of life, anticipation of pleasure, is brought into play. A reduction of the allowance below what experience has indicated as " bare existence diet," made during the famine in Madras in the beginning of 1877, was attended with disastrous results. By dint of mixing and varying his diet and making it consist of very nutritious articles, such as bread, meat, yolk of eggs, and soup, Signer Cornaro (see CORNARO) succeeded in reducing the quantity he daily consumed to as little as 12 oz. (Venetian). But then he made the solids go much further by taking 14 oz. of good wine. A.nd the proba bility is that this gentlemen had a peculiar constitution, for, in spite of his many readers, he has had no imitators of the experiment on their own persons. 2. The appropriate food of the second class may be fairly represented by the dietaries of European soldiers in time of peace. The English soldier on home service, according to Dr Parkes, receives from Government 5^ H> of meat and 7 fi> of bread weekly, and buys additional bread, vegetables, milk, and groceries out of his pay. Such a diet is sufficient for anybody under ordinary circumstances of regular light occupation ; but should extra demands be made upon mind or body, weight is lost, and if the demands continue to be made the health will suffer. Mr F. Buckland, surgeon in the Guards, remarks (Soc. of Arts Journal, 1863, quoted by Dr Playfair) that though the sergeants in the Guards fatten upon their rations, the quantity is not enough for recruits during their drill. The Prussian soldier during peace gets weekly from his canteen 11 H) 1 oz. of rye bread, and not quite 2J 5) of meat. This is obviously insufficient, but under the con scription system it is reckoned that he will be able to make up the deficiency out of his own private meaus, or obtain charitable contributions from his friends. Dr Hildesheim (Die Normal-Diat, Berlin, 1856, p. 60) states that asthenic diseases are very common in the army, which leads to the inference that the chance assistance on which the authori ties lean is not trustworthy. As the legal ration in these two services does not profess to be a man s full food, it is needless to analyze it. In the French infantry of the line each man during peace gets weekly 15 ft) of bread, 3^$ tt> of meat, 2| ft of haricot beans or other vegetables, with salt and pepper, and If oz. of brandy. This seems to be enough to support a man under light employment. Its analysis gives Water 179 83 oz. Nitrogenous matter (or albuminates) 30 17 ,, Fat 9-29 Carbohydrates (or starch) 126 84 ,, Total of dry solids 166 30 An Austrian under the same circumstances receives 13 9Ib of bread, | Bb of flour, and 3 3 Ib of meat. The alimentary contents are Water 129 50 oz. Nitrogenous matter 27 40 ,, Fat 8 23 ,, Carbohydrates 119-45 ,, Total of dry solids 155 08 ,. The Russian conscript is allowed weekly 1 Black bread 71b. Meat 71b. Kawass (beer) 7 7 quarts. Sour cabbage 24i gills, =122^ oz. Barley 24| gills,=122 oz. Salts . 104 oz. Horseradish 28 grains. Pepper 28 grains. Vinegar 5j gills, =26 J oz. The " moderate exercise " of brain and muscle combined in the above classes is fairly represented in the convict scale by " light labour " (such as oakum-picking), and by " industrial employment " (such as tailoring, cobbling, Roman mosaic and mat making, basket weaving, &c). The dietary for prisoners thus engaged is nearly identical, except that the artisans using their brains are supplied with about an ounce extra daily. The " industrial employment diet " for a week is thus analyzed by Dr Pavy : Weekly Allowance. Nitro genous mutter. Carbo hydrates. Fat. Mineral Hatter. Total water- free mutter. Cocoa OZ. 3-500 14-000 28-000 7-000 3-500 1-000 148-000 4-000 8-625 16-000 8-000 1-500 1-000 3-000 1-000 96-000 oz. 0-560 1764 1-148 0-063 11-988 1-340 0-931 4-416 1-688 0-013 0-036 0-012 2-016 oz. 1-540 8-932 1-456 5-390 0-743 75-480 6-081 6-145 0-216 0-072 21-120 oz. 1-295 0-784 1-092 0-024 2-368 0-972 0-172 2-472 0-320 1-244 0-002 0-192 oz. 0-105 0-420 0-224 3-500 0-020 3-404 0-216 0-147 0-472 2-072 0-030 o-oio 0-018 0-006 0-672 oz. 3-500 11-900 3-920 5-390 3-500 0-850 93-240 2-528 7-331 7-360 4-080: 1-274 0-1 70i 0-270 0-090 24-000 i Oatmeal Milk Molasses Salt Barley Bread Cheese Flour Meat (cooked, ) without bone or > ffravv) ... . . i Shins (made in- J to soup .. ) Suet Carrots Onions Turnips Potatoes Total water-free i natter... 25-975 121-175 10-937 11-316 169-403 This is probably a fair model for the most economical dietary on which an artisan or labourer on light work can thrive. It may be observed that the principle of variety is very conspicuous, and in private life it is possible to in troduce still more variety by cookery (see COOKERY.) In the English and Prussian armies the introduction of variety is left to be attained by forcing the soldier to purchase some portion of his food out of his own pocket ; in the French scale it is managed by issuing spices and various vegetables, and trusting to the innate genius of the Gaulish warrior for cooking. The issue of an occasional glass of brandy on holidays makes an agreeable change and benefits digestion ; but if wine could be obtained it would be better, and not extravagant. The Austrian bill of fare is sadly monotonous. The Russian ration may be noticed as particularly liberal of accessory and antiscorbutic food, from which civil as well as military dieticians might take an useful hint 1 Report of Sanitary CoininissioH, 1858, p. 425, quoted by Dr

Parkes.