Economic and financial section > Problem of nutrition

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(b) Scientific Nutritional Hygiene Society.
Like the Foodstuffs Centre, this society, which was founded in 1904
and declared to be of public utility, is intended for both the study and
teaching of the sciences in their application to nutrition. For this
purpose, it organises theoretical courses and, unlike the Foodstuffs Centre,
practical classes for both normal and dietetic cookery.
The courses consist of ninety-eight hours of instruction annually and
pupils are charged a fee. These courses are followed each year by some
twenty pupils of various origins, half of whom belong to the Higher
Normal School of Technical Education (Science-Domestic Economy
Department).
The Scientific Nutritional Hygiene Society possesses well-equipped
laboratories, which can also be used for teaching purposes.
2. The Ministry of Agriculture also evinces keen interest in the
dissemination of knowledge so closely concerning the country’s
agricultural economy. It subsidises the Scientific Nutritional Hygiene
Society, which is under its patronage.
Even though they do not form the subject of special courses, questions
of nutrition are dealt with in the schools of advanced studies under the
Ministry of Agriculture, and more particularly at the National Agronomic
Institute, the National Schools of Agriculture (microbiology, zootechnics,
agricultural technology, fruit nutrition and aquiculture) at the National
School of Agriculture, Versailles (the cultivation of fruit trees) and at
the National School of National Industries, Douai (sugar production,
brewing and distilling).
3. In the last place, it may be pointed out that the Ministries for
War and the Navy have for their own purposes instituted courses of
advanced instruction in nutrition at the higher supply service (Army)
and Commissariat (Navy) Schools and at the practical training-schools
of the army and naval health services.
4. In conclusion, it may be said that, at the present time, properly
organised advanced teaching on nutrition does not exist in France.
The Foodstuffs Centre and the Scientific Nutritional Hygiene Society,
though unconnected with each other, have identical aims. The pupils
attending their courses are both heterogeneous in origin and too few
in number.
The public authorities are at present engaged in an attempt to improve
the teaching of nutritional hygiene ; to ensure greater coherence between
the establishments controlled by the Department of National Education ;
to provide stricter supervision of the instruction given ; to work out
schemes for systematic advanced teaching of nutrition under the
Directorate-General of Technical Education, which is the department
most interested in its development ; to create and organise the profession
of dietetician ; and, in the last place, to ensure by administrative action