Part 14
Oatmeal 345 × 0.40 = 1.380 grams. Butter 7 + 11 = 18 × 0.11 = 0.020 Sugar 30 × 0.00 = 0.000 Milk 100 + 200 + 230 = 530 × 0.54 = 2.862 Coffee 180 × 0.14 = 0.252 Bread 67 × 1.39 = 0.931 Potato (dinner) 71 × 0.52 = 0.369 Corn 179 × 0.44 = 0.788 Pie 133 × 0.54 = 0.718 Biscuit 75 × 1.21 = 0.908 Potato (supper) 106 × 0.36 = 0.382 Cake 52 × 0.90 = 0.468 Apricots 75 × 0.21 = 0.158 ------ Total nitrogen in food 9.236 grams. Total nitrogen in urine 8.720
Fuel value of the food 2080 calories.
_Saturday, May 7, 1904._
Breakfast.—Oatmeal 382 grams, milk 100 grams, coffee 185 grams, butter 10 grams, sugar 30 grams.
Dinner.—Bread 93 grams, potato 67 grams, rice pudding 141 grams, milk 200 grams.
Supper.—Bread 67 grams, butter 13 grams, potato salad 122 grams, milk 240 grams, coffee 120 grams.
Food. Grams. Per cent Nitrogen. Total Nitrogen.
Oatmeal 382 × 0.41 = 1.566 grams. Milk 100 + 200 + 240 = 540 × 0.54 = 2.916 Coffee (breakfast) 185 × 0.13 = 0.241 Butter 10 + 13 = 23 × 0.11 = 0.025 Sugar 30 × 0.00 = 0.000 Bread 93 + 67 = 160 × 1.33 = 2.128 Potato 67 × 0.56 = 0.375 Rice pudding 141 × 0.76 = 1.072 Potato salad 122 × 0.35 = 0.427 Coffee (supper) 120 × 0.15 = 0.180 ------ Total nitrogen in food 8.930 grams. Total nitrogen in urine 8.530
Fuel value of the food 1714 calories.
_Sunday, May 8, 1904._
Breakfast.—Oatmeal 386 grams, butter 10 grams, sugar 35 grams, milk 100 grams, coffee 185 grams.
Dinner.—Rice and chicken gravy 178 grams, boiled onions 136 grams, chocolate pudding 141 grams, milk 150 grams.
Supper.—Potato salad 73 grams, bread 28 grams, chocolate cake 104 grams, milk 220 grams.
Food. Grams. Per cent Nitrogen. Total Nitrogen.
Oatmeal 386 × 0.35 = 1.351 grams. Butter 10 × 0.11 = 0.011 Sugar 35 × 0.00 = 0.000 Milk 100 + 150 + 220 = 470 × 0.55 = 2.585 Coffee 185 × 0.11 = 0.204 Rice and chicken gravy 178 × 0.47 = 0.837 Onions 136 × 0.25 = 0.340 Chocolate pudding 141 × 1.03 = 1.452 Potato salad 73 × 0.35 = 0.256 Bread 28 × 1.33 = 0.372 Chocolate cake 104 × 0.95 = 0.988 ------ Total nitrogen in food 8.396 grams. Total nitrogen in urine 7.000
Fuel value of the food 1995 calories.
_Monday, May 9, 1904._
Breakfast.—Oatmeal 330 grams, butter 10 grams, sugar 35 grams, milk 100 grams, coffee 185 grams.
Dinner.—Bread 73 grams, fried potato 125 grams, boiled onions 118 grams, macaroni and cheese 128 grams, apple pie 110 grams, milk 200 grams.
Supper.—Bread 82 grams, boiled potato 130 grams, butter 12 grams, chocolate cake 114 grams, milk 245 grams.
Food. Grams. Per cent Nitrogen. Total Nitrogen.
Oatmeal 330 × 0.44 = 1.452 grams. Butter 12 + 10 = 22 × 0.11 = 0.024 Sugar 35 × 0.00 = 0.000 Milk 100 + 200 + 245 = 545 × 0.58 = 3.161 Coffee 185 × 0.099 = 0.183 Bread 73 + 82 = 155 × 1.33 = 2.062 Fried potato 125 × 0.48 = 0.600 Onions 118 × 0.25 = 0.295 Macaroni and cheese 128 × 1.53 = 1.958 Apple pie 110 × 0.55 = 0.605 Boiled potato 130 × 0.30 = 0.390 Chocolate cake 114 × 0.95 = 1.083 ------ Total nitrogen in food 11.813 grams. Total nitrogen in urine 7.590
Fuel value of the food 2620 calories.
_Tuesday, May 10, 1904._
Breakfast.—Oatmeal 357 grams, butter 11 grams, sugar 35 grams, milk 100 grams, coffee 185 grams.
Dinner.—Soda biscuit 68 grams, boiled potato 160 grams, butter 20 grams, stewed tomato 103 grams, custard pie 103 grams, milk 200 grams.
Supper.—Soda biscuit 81 grams, butter 14 grams, stewed potato 97 grams, chocolate cake 66 grams, milk 200 grams.
Food. Grams. Per cent Nitrogen. Total Nitrogen.
Oatmeal 357 × 0.42 = 1.499 grams. Butter 11 + 20 + 14 = 45 × 0.11 = 0.050 Sugar 35 × 0.00 = 0.000 Milk 100 + 200 + 200 = 500 × 0.54 = 2.700 Coffee 185 × 0.13 = 0.241 Soda biscuit 68 + 81 = 149 × 1.27 = 1.892 Boiled potato 160 × 0.30 = 0.480 Stewed tomato 103 × 0.21 = 0.216 Custard pie 103 × 0.91 = 0.937 Stewed potato 97 × 0.45 = 0.437 Chocolate cake 66 × 0.95 = 0.627 ------ Total nitrogen in food 9.079 grams. Total nitrogen in urine 7.780
Fuel value of the food 2190 calories.
_Wednesday, May 11, 1904._
Breakfast.—Oatmeal 394 grams, butter 10 grams, sugar 35 grams, milk 100 grams, coffee 185 grams.
Dinner.—Soup 141 grams, bread 78 grams, butter 14 grams, boiled potato 101 grams, corn 128 grams, rice pudding 116 grams, milk 200 grams.
Supper.—Biscuit 103 grams, butter 11 grams, corn 113 grams, cake 60 grams, milk 205 grams.
Food. Grams. Per cent Nitrogen. Total Nitrogen.
Oatmeal 394 × 0.46 = 1.812 grams. Butter 10 + 14 + 11 = 35 × 0.11 = 0.039 Sugar 35 × 0.00 = 0.000 Milk 100 + 200 + 205 = 505 × 0.54 = 2.727 Coffee 185 × 0.13 = 0.241 Soup 141 × 0.48 = 0.677 Bread 78 × 1.25 = 0.975 Boiled potato 101 × 0.31 = 0.313 Corn 113 + 128 = 241 × 0.46 = 1.109 Rice pudding 116 × 0.63 = 0.731 Biscuit 103 × 1.42 = 1.463 Cake 60 × 0.78 = 0.468 ------ Total nitrogen in food 10.555 grams. Total nitrogen in urine 8.280
Fuel value of the food 2183 calories.
_Thursday, May 12, 1904._
Breakfast.—Oatmeal 349 grams, butter 10 grams, sugar 35 grams, milk 100 grams, coffee 185 grams.
Dinner.—Soup 137 grams, fried potato 43 grams, bread 100 grams, macaroni and cheese 122 grams, bread pudding 80 grams, milk 200 grams.
Supper.—Stewed potato 126 grams, bread 122 grams, cake 73 grams, apricots 81 grams, milk 220 grams.
Food. Grams. Per cent Nitrogen. Total Nitrogen.
Oatmeal 349 × 0.41 = 1.431 grams. Butter 10 × 0.11 = 0.011 Sugar 35 × 0.00 = 0.000 Milk 100 + 200 + 220 = 520 × 0.57 = 2.964 Coffee 185 × 0.13 = 0.241 Soup 137 × 0.48 = 0.658 Fried potato 43 × 0.76 = 0.327 Bread 100 + 122 = 222 × 1.25 = 2.775 Macaroni and cheese 122 × 1.94 = 2.370 Bread pudding 80 × 0.82 = 0.656 Stewed potato 126 × 0.43 = 0.542 Cake 73 × 0.78 = 0.569 Apricots 81 × 0.23 = 0.186 ------ Total nitrogen in food 12.730 grams. Total nitrogen in urine 9.360
Fuel value of the food 2283 calories.
NITROGEN BALANCE.—_Beers._
Nitrogen Output. Taken in. Nitrogen in Urine. Weight of Fæces (dry).
May 6 9.236 grams. 8.72 grams. 17.5 grams. 7 8.930 8.53 30.5 8 8.396 7.00 26.2 9 11.813 7.59 27.1 10 9.079 7.78 22.1 11 10.555 8.28 26.0 12 12.730 9.36 24.5 12.5 ------ ------ ------ 186.4 grams contain 5.93% N. 70.739 57.26 + 11.054 grams nitrogen. ------ ---------------------- 70.739 grams nitrogen. 68.314 grams nitrogen.
Nitrogen balance for seven days = +2.425 grams. Nitrogen balance per day = +0.346 gram.
Average Intake.
Calories per day 2152. Nitrogen per day 10.10 grams.
Here we have, as in the preceding cases, marked physiological economy of non-nitrogenous as well as of nitrogenous food material. Further, taking the body-weight of the subject as 61.5 kilos, and with an average daily excretion of 8.58 grams of metabolized nitrogen, it is evident that under the existing conditions of life and activity there was need for the metabolism of only 0.139 gram of nitrogen per kilo of body-weight. Doubtless, however, still greater economy was possible.
Finally, while it hardly savors of scientific accuracy to quote simple sensations, yet it may be stated that the subject asserts a betterment of his condition, with continuance of mental and physical vigor in such a degree that he has persisted now for more than a year and a half in the maintenance of these dietetic habits which are characterized by this lowered rate of proteid metabolism. The quantity of nitrogen metabolized daily means the breaking down of approximately 50 grams of proteid, and it is very evident that this amount of proteid food, one-half the amount called for by the ordinary diet, is quite sufficient to meet all of the subject’s bodily needs, even with a total fuel value considerably below 2500 calories.
SUMMARY
Certain general conclusions seem to be justified by the results reported. A healthy man, whose occupation is such as not to involve excessive muscular work, but whose activity is mainly mental rather than physical, though by no means excluding the latter, can live on a much smaller amount of proteid or albuminous food than is usually considered essential for life, without loss of mental or physical strength and vigor, and with maintenance of body and nitrogen equilibrium. This means that the ordinary professional man who leads an active and even strenuous life, with its burden of care and responsibility, need not clog his system and inhibit his power for work by the ingestion of any such quantities of proteid food as the ordinary dietetic standards call for. There is no real physiological need—that is apparent—for the adoption of such dietetic habits as ordinarily prevail, or as are called for by the dietary standards set by most authorities in this branch of physiology. There is no justifiable ground for the dictum, or the assumption, that the adult man of average body-weight needs daily 118 grams of proteid food for the maintenance of health, strength and vigor, or that there is need for the metabolism of at least 16 grams of nitrogen daily. If such were the case, how could these five subjects, whose experiences have been detailed in the foregoing pages, have maintained their body-weight, established nitrogen equilibrium, pursued their ordinary vocations without loss of strength and vigor, and kept in a perpetual condition of good health, with an average daily metabolism of from 5.4 grams of nitrogen to 8.99 grams of nitrogen for periods ranging from six to eighteen months? Surely, if 16 to 18 grams of nitrogen are a daily requisite for the healthy adult, there should have been some sign of nitrogen starvation during these long periods of low proteid diet, but the sharpest scrutiny failed to find it. On the contrary, there were not wanting signs of improved conditions of the body which could not well be associated with anything but the changes in diet.
Let us briefly consider the main facts. The writer, of 57 kilos body-weight, showed for nearly nine consecutive months an average daily metabolism of 5.7 grams of nitrogen. During the last two months the daily metabolism averaged 5.4 grams of nitrogen. As body-weight and nitrogen equilibrium were both maintained under these conditions, it is certainly fair to assume that the physiological needs of the body were fully met. These figures imply a metabolism, in the first instance, of 0.1 gram of nitrogen per kilo of body-weight, while the lower figure shows a metabolism of 0.094 gram of nitrogen per kilo of body-weight. We may call this latter amount the minimal nitrogen requirement for this particular individual, under which health, strength, and vigor can be fully maintained. This lower nitrogen figure shows that the needs of this particular individual for proteid material are met by the metabolism of 33.75 grams of proteid per day. Hence, one-third the usually accepted standard of proteid is quite sufficient for the wants of this particular person, and this too with a quantity of non-nitrogenous food far below the daily amount called for by ordinary physiological rules. A fuel value of 2000 calories per day was fully adequate to meet the ordinary wants of the body.
Dr. Mendel, with a body-weight of 70 kilos, showed for seven consecutive months an average daily metabolism of 6.53 grams of nitrogen, likewise with maintenance of health, strength, body equilibrium, and nitrogenous equilibrium. This figure implies a nitrogen metabolism of 0.093 gram per kilo of body-weight and shows that the wants of the body—in his case—can be fully met by a metabolism of 40.8 grams of proteid matter daily, and this likewise without increasing the amount of non-nitrogenous food ingested. Indeed, a total fuel value of 2500 calories per day was quite sufficient for all the needs of his body under the existing conditions.
Dr. Underhill, with a body-weight of 65 kilos, showed for six consecutive months a proteid metabolism equal to 7.81 grams of nitrogen per day, while for the last two months the daily average excretion of nitrogen was only 6.68 grams. These figures mean respectively a nitrogen metabolism of 0.120 and 0.102 gram of nitrogen per kilo of body-weight. Here, too, as in the preceding cases, this lowered rate of proteid metabolism was maintained without increasing the total fuel value of the food and with a continuance of health and strength.
Messrs. Dean and Beers, with body-weights of 64 and 61.5 kilos respectively, likewise kept up their health and strength for a long period of time with a nitrogen metabolism averaging 8.99 and 8.58 grams of nitrogen per day, _i. e._, with a metabolism of 0.140 and 0.139 gram of nitrogen per kilo of body-weight respectively, and this with a total fuel value in their daily food averaging not more than 2500 calories.
With this general concurrence of results, we are certainly warranted in the assertion that the professional man can safely practise a physiological economy in the use of proteid food equal to a saving of one-half to two-thirds the amount called for by existing dietary standards, and this without increasing the amount of non-nitrogenous food consumed. Indeed, the latter class of foods can likewise be diminished in amount without detriment to health or strength, where there is no call for great physical exertion. Lastly, the so-called minimal proteid requirement of the healthy man—which for this group of individuals we may place at the low level of 0.093 to 0.130 gram of nitrogen per kilo of body-weight—represents the real physiological needs of the system for nitrogen, and in so far as our present data show, anything beyond this quantity may be considered as an excess over and above what is required for the actual physiological necessities of the body. Naturally, however, there may be nothing detrimental in a slight excess of proteid beyond the daily needs. That is a subject, however, to be discussed later in connection with other results.
In view of the close agreement in the amount of nitrogen metabolized by these different individuals per kilo of body-weight, emphasis should be laid upon the fact that the results recorded were all obtained with perfect freedom of choice in the matter of diet, without prescription of any kind, so that the close concurrence in the final figures tends to strengthen the value of the data as pointing to a certain minimal requirement easily attainable, and fully adequate for meeting the needs of the body.
II. EXPERIMENTS WITH VOLUNTEERS FROM THE HOSPITAL CORPS OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY.
The original Detachment from the Hospital Corps of the United States Army detailed to serve in this series of experiments arrived in New Haven September 28, 1903, under the command of Dr. Wallace DeWitt, 1st Lieutenant and assistant Surgeon of the United States Army. The detail was composed of twenty men, of whom fourteen were privates, volunteers for the experiment, the remainder being made up of non-commissioned officers, cook, cook’s helper, etc. The detachment was located in a convenient house on Vanderbilt Square belonging to the Sheffield Scientific School, and there they lived during their six months’ stay in New Haven under military discipline, and subject to the constant surveillance of the commanding officer and the non-commissioned officers.
In selecting the men for the experiment particular attention was paid to securing as great a variety of types as possible, representing different nationalities, temperaments, etc. Naturally, among such a group of enlisted men brought together for the purpose in view many were found unsuited for various reasons, and were quickly exchanged for others better adapted for the successful carrying out of the experiment. Several quickly deserted, apparently not relishing the restrictions under which they were compelled to live. The restriction which constituted the greatest hardship in the eyes of several of the men was the regularity of life insisted upon, and the consequent restraint placed upon their movements in the city when relieved from duty. The following Statement from Dr. DeWitt will explain the causes of removal of the men who dropped out of the experiment during the natural sifting process of the first few weeks and later.
HOSPITAL CORPS DETACHMENT U. S. ARMY, 332 TEMPLE ST., NEW HAVEN, CONN., March 17, 1904.
Professor RUSSELL H. CHITTENDEN, _Director Sheffield Scientific School_, NEW HAVEN, CONN.
SIR,—In compliance with your verbal request concerning men of this detachment lost by transfer and desertion and the reasons therefor, I have the honor to inform you that the following men were lost by transfer, at my request, for the reasons set after their respective names:
Private EDWARD MCDERMOTT (October 17, 1903). Mentally and morally unsuited.
Private PAUL FORKEL (October 18, 1903). Physically unsuited.
Private DAVID ACKER (October 24, 1903). Physically unsuited by reason of Acute Pulmonary Tuberculosis Bilateral.
Private WILLIAM C. WITZIG (November 17, 1903). Physically unsuited by reason of Cardiac Irritability.
Private PHILIP S. MYER (December 11, 1903). Physically unsuited by reason of very high grade of Myopia both eyes.
Private first class CHARLES P. DAVIS (January 14, 1904). Physically unsuited by reason of Acute Melancholia.
Private BARNARD BATES (February 12, 1904). Morally and mentally unsuited by reason of Drunkenness.
In all these men, except Private DAVIS, the condition for which they were transferred was present when they reported for duty with the detachment.
In the case of Private DAVIS, his condition of acute melancholia in my opinion was incident to the experiment,—due to the necessary restrictions of liberty and food, assisted by a natural gloomy disposition.
The following men were lost by desertion:
Private first class SAMUEL R. CURTIS (November 3, 1903).
Private first class WILLIAM SMITH (November 5, 1903).
Private SIMON PRINS (January 23, 1904).
Private EDWIN A. RINARD (February 3, 1904).
Of these men Private first class Smith and Private Prins were on duty in the kitchen and were at no time subject to restriction of diet and liberty. Private first class Curtis deserted before the experiment was well under way and can not be attributed to any cause arising out of the investigation. Private Rinard’s desertion was in my opinion due to the restrictions of diet and liberty incident to the experiment. I would say, however, that this man was a worthless character and was discharged “without honor” from the army during a previous enlistment.
Very respectfully,
(Signed) WALLACE DEWITT, _1st Lieut. and Asst. Surgeon U. S. Army, Commdg. Detachment._
As supplementing Dr. DeWitt’s statement it may be mentioned that Rinard reported for the experiment at New Haven on December 11, 1903, and remained here until February 2, 1904. On December 11 he weighed 59.8 kilos, while on February 2, the last day he was here, his body-weight was 60 kilos. Evidently, any restriction of diet he may have suffered had not made any great impression upon his bodily condition.
There were thirteen men of the detachment who really took part in the experiment, and of these all but four were in the original detail. Of these four, two joined in October and two early in November. Of these thirteen, all but two continued to the close of the experiment, April 4, 1904.
The following statement gives the name, age, birthplace, occupation, length of service (U. S. Army), etc. of the thirteen men.
It will be noted that the men range in age from twenty-one years six months to forty-three years, and that representatives of many countries are on the list.