PART II.

The relationship of Food to Physical Development.

     " It is food that supplies the material for that perpetual series of transforma-
tions in which life consists, and it must be adequate in quantity and suitable in
quality if these transformations, of so many different kinds, in so many different
organs, are to proceed with that nicely balanced adjustment that is known as
health; nutrition is therefore an important branch of preventive medicine."¹

     In our work so far we have had no necessity to face the much-discussed ques-
tion raised by Chittenden, viz., what is the proper daily protein intake necessary
to meet the needs of the body ? Much has been said, and well said, for and against
the views put forward by Chittenden. In the presidential address from which we
quote above, published in the Journal of the Royal Institute of Preventive
Medicine, Sir J. Crichton-Browne deals with the evidence for and against in a
masterly manner. His general conclusions—and in these he is in agreement with
most European physiologists, so far as Europeans are concerned—are that
Chittenden's views and standards cannot be accepted in their entirety. At the
same time it must be admitted that in the " Physiological Economy in. Nutrition "
and in " The Nutrition of Man" Chittenden makes out a very strong case, founded
on the most painstaking and laborious experimental study. In some researches²
on the metabolism of the Bengali and on his nutrition, we have shown that the
average native of Bengal on the ordinary diet of the province—rice and dal—
reaches an even lower limit of nitrogenous metabolism than any of Chittenden's
subjects. We found that students and members of the fairly well-to-do classes
exist on a metabolism of less than 40 grms. of protein per man daily. The great
mass of the population. are on an even lower scale than this.

     These results bear out Chittenden's views as regards the possibility of man
existing on a protein content of the general diet less than one-half of the ordinary
standards and, so far as that goes, we freely admitted that the protein metabolism
of the Bengali confirmed and corroborated his opinion.

     It was when we tried to judge the effects of this dietary on the physical de-
velopment of the race, their capacity for manual labour, the condition of their blood
and tissues, and above all their resisting power to disease and infection, that we
were forced to part company from Chittenden and the opinions he has expressed
with regard to the great beneficial effect of a reduction of protein on mankind.
We showed—by observations on students, prisoners and servants of this College

     ¹ Sir J. Crichton-Browne: Parcimony in Nutrition, Presidential Address to the Section of Preventive
Medicine. Journal, August 1908.

      ² Scientific Memoirs No. 34. Government of India.

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