NationalLibraryOfScotland/medical-history-of-british-india huggingface dataset:
90
Total intake—
Output —
N. of rice
.
.
284.00 grms.
N. of urine
.
.
. 479.96 grms.
„ „ d a l s .
.
212.80 „
.5 grm. constant
.
.
25.00 „
„ „ wheat at a
.
135.90 „
„ „ goat's flesh
.
105.00 „
Total nitrogenous metabolism = 504.96 „
„ „ vegetables
.
23.60 „
=66.33 per cent. of N. of diet.
=10.09 grms. N. per day.
Total N. of intake
. =761.30 „
(viii) In connection with (vii) we give the result from exactly the same diet
but with almost the same amount of nitrogen derived from fish replacing that from
goat's flesh. 3.4 ozs. of fish replacing 3.2 ozs. of goat's flesh.
Five Bengali prisoners over ten days' observation.
BATCH C.
Quantity
of urine.
Re-
action.
Total N.
of urine.
N. of
rice.
N. of
dals.
N. of
wheat
ata.
N. of
fish.
N. of
vege-
tables.
Weight.
C. C.
Grms.
Grms.
Grms.
Grms. Grms.
Grms.
Lbs.
Five prisoners,
Bengalis.
8,880
Acid
45.75
28.40
21.28
13.59
10.00
2.36
124.8
8,930
„
48.13
28.40
21.28
13.59
10.00
2.36
124.8
9,940
„
48.34
28.40
21.28
13.59
10.00
2.36
125.2
8,920
„
46.64
28.40
21.28
13.59
10.00
2.36
125.4
9,440
„
46.62
28.40
21.28
13.59
10.00
2.36
125.3
7,300
„
46.19
28.40
21.28
13.59
10.00
2.36
125.3
6,290
„
50.37
28.40
21.28
13.59
10.00
2.36
125.0
7,320
„
53.28
28.40
21.28
13.59
10.00
2.36
124.8
8,200
„
56.18
28.40
21.28
13.59
10.00
2.36
124.9
7,540
„
45.17
28.40
21.28
13.59
10.00
2.36
124.8
T o t a l i n t a k e —
Total output
—
N. in rice
.
.
. 284.00 grms.
N. of urine
.
.
. 486.67 grms.
„ d a l
.
.
. 212.80 „
.5 grm. constant
.
. 25.00 „
„ wheat ata
.
. 135.90 „
„ fish
.
. 100.00 „
Total nitrogenous metabolism = 511.67 „
„ vegetables
.
. 23.60 „
= 67.65 per cent. of the nitrogen of the diet.
= 10.23 grms. nitrogen per man daily.
Total N. of intake
.
.=756.30 „
Contrasting (vii) and (viii) we see that there is a difference of 5 grms. of nitrogen in
the intake in favour of the diet containing goat's flesh, yet there is almost seven
grammes of nitrogen better metabolism from the diet containing fish, so that on
the whole, fish is slightly more easily absorbed than goat's flesh, but the
difference is very small—only 0.14 grm. per man daily.
Taken in conjunction with Table VIII (v) it affords further evidence of the
slight effect of the addition of an animal protein in raising the level of nitrogenous
metabolism, when the diet is bulky and made up of vegetable matter.
91
Thus in a diet almost exactly similar but containing no goat's flesh or fish we
find a nitrogenous metabolism of 9.51 grms. daily ; whereas the addition of 2
grammes of nitrogen from fish or 2.1 grms. of nitrogen from goat's flesh only
increases the nitrogenous metabolism by 0.71 and 0.58 grm. per man daily.
(ix) We shall conclude this part of the enquiry with three sets of observations in
which the rice and dal were constant and reduced—the rice to 18 ozs., the dal to 4 ozs.
per man daily ; the nitrogenous equivalent for the reduction in rice was made up in
different ways. Thus :—
CONSTANT.
Burma rice .
.
.
.
. 18 ozs.
Wheat ata 4 ozs. .
= Diet I.
„
„ 2.4 ozs. + goat's flesh
+
2 ozs. = Diet II.
Mattar and massur dals .
.
.
4
„
,, 2.4 ozs. + fish 3 ozs.
Vegetables
.
.
.
.
.
6 „
= Diet III.
Diet I.
Five prisoners observed for five days.
BATCH.
Quantity
of
urine.
Re-
action.
Total N.
of
urine.
N. of
rice.
N. of
dals.
N. of
wheat
ata.
N. of
vege-
tables.
Weight.
C. C.
Grms. Grms. Grms.
Grms. Grms.
Lbs.
Five prisoners, Bengalis .
11,550
Acid
42 . 76
28.40
21 . 28
12 . 08
2.36
117.5
10,950
„
44.37
28 .40
21 . 28
12 . 08
2.36
117.2
10,090
„
37.74
28 . 40
21 . 28
12 . 08
2.36
117 . 3
10,680
„
40.47
28 . 40
21.28
12 . 08
2.36
117.5
10,670
„
38 . 28
28 . 40
21 .28
12 . 08
2.36
117.5
Tot al ni t r ogen of i nt ake—
Total output
—
N. of rice .
.
. 142.00 grms.
N. of urine .
.
.
203.62 grms.
„ dals .
.
. 106.40 „
.5 grm. daily constant .
12.50 „
„ wheat ata .
. 60.40 „
„ vegetables .
.
11.80 „
Total nitrogenous metabolism 216.12 „
= 67.41 per cent. of nitrogen of the diet.
Total nitrogen intake— . 320.60 „
= 8.64 grms. nitrogen per man daily.
i.e., when the nitrogen lost by reducing the rice is replaced by nitrogen
in the form of wheat ata 67.41 per cent. of the nitrogen of the diet is absorbed, or
8.64 grms. of nitrogen per man daily.
N 2
92
Diet II.
Five prisoners observed for five days.
BATCH D.
Quantity
of
urine.
Re-
action.
N. of
urine.
N. of
rice.
N. of
dals.
N. of
wheat.
N. of
goat's
flesh.
N. of
vege-
tables.
Weight.
C. C.
Grms. Grms. Grms. Grms. Grms. Grms. Lbs.
11,110 Acid 46.78
28.40 21.28 6.79
6.56
2.36
118.2
Two Hindus .
11,830
„
44.85 28.40 21.28
6.79
6.56
2.36
118.0
9,630
„
44.49 28.40 21.28
6.79
6.56
2.36
118.4
Three Mahomedans
12,560
„
46.24 28.40 21.28
6.79
6.56
2.36
118.4
10,620
„
44.52 28.40 21.28
6.79
6.56
2.36
118.2
Total intake—
Output —
N. of rice
.
.
. 142.00 grms.
N. of urine
. .
. 226.88 grms.
„ dals .
.
. 106.40 „
.5 grm. constant .
. 12.50 „
„ wheat ata .
. 33.95
„
„ goat's flesh .
. 33.80 „
Total N. metabolism .
. = 239.38 „
„ vegetables
.
. 11.80 „
= 72.99 per cent. of N. of diet,
= 9.57 grms. N. per day per man.
Total N. of intake
.
. =327.95 „
Contrasted with the result shown in Diet I, in this diet the deficiency in nitrogen
from rice is made up by almost equal amounts of nitrogen from wheat ata and
goat's flesh, instead of, as in Diet I, entirely by wheat ata. The result is that
there is a much better absorption from Diet II, showing that the proteins of wheat
ata and goat's flesh even when offered in these small amounts are very differently
absorbable.
Diet III.
Five Bengali prisoners over five consecutive days.
BATCH C.
Quantity
of
urine.
Total N.
of
urine.
N. of
rice.
N. of
dals.
N. of
wheat
ata.
N. of
fish.
N. of
vege- t a b l e s . Weight.
C. C. Grms. Grms. Grms. Grms. Grms. Grms. Lbs.
8,000 47.82 28.40 21.28
6.79
8.39
2.36
123.9
Two Hindus . . .
9,370 50.24 28.40 21.28
6.79
8.39
2.36
123.8
8,260 43.48 28.40 21.28
6.79
8.39
2.36
124
Three Mahomedans . .
9,160 46.16 28.40 21.28
6.79
8.39
2.36
123.8
8,470 46.95 28.40 21.28
6.79
8.39
2.36
123.9
93
Total intake—
O u t p u t —
N. of rice .
.
. 142.00 grms.
N. of urine
.
.
. 234.65 grms
„ dal .
.
. 106.40 „
5 grm. constant
.
.
12.50 „
„ wheat ata .
.
33.95 „
„ fish .
.
.
41.95 „
Total N. metabolism .
. 247.15 „
„ vegetables
.
11.80 „
= 73.54 per cent. of N. of diet,
= 9.88 grins. N. per day per man.
Total N. of intake .
. 336.10 „
Now we have already seen that the protein of goat's flesh and that of fish are
practically equally absorbable ; therefore, by contrasting the results of Diet II and
III we can find the percentage of protein absorption of fish and goat's flesh in diets
of this type.
Thus the difference in nitrogen intake—all due to nitrogen of fish = 8.15 grms.
The difference in the amount of nitrogenous absorption between diets II and III= 7.77 grms.
Therefore 8.15 grms. of nitrogen of goat's flesh or fish show an absorption of 7.77 grms.
or 95.3 per cent.
It will be noticed in these investigations that where, a normal (European)
absorption of the protein of the animal food is obtained, the bulk of the diet is very
much reduced from the ordinary jail standard.
Summary of Section 4.
This concludes the investigations so far as this section, dealing with the effects
of varying the components by adding wheat ata or an animal protein, is concerned.
It will be evident from the observations recorded in Tables VII and VIII that
very good results as regards nitrogenous absorption and metabolism can be ob-
tained by the addition of wheat ata or an animal protein—particularly when the rice
or dal or both rice and dal are decreased to nearly the proper limits.
In Tables VII and VIII we may exclude in the present summary all investi-
gations where the full 26 ozs. of rice formed part of the diet or where the rice
was reduced to one-half that quantity. The results obtained with these amounts,
while very instructive in demonstrating the retarding influence of the full amount
of rice on the protein absorption from a diet containing it, or in demonstrating the
opposite in the case of diets in which the rice is reduced to 13 ozs., are outside the
limits of the quantities of rice necessary in diet scales framed for a rice-eating
people. The full amount of 26 ozs. we have ample evidence is far too much and is
not only useless but actually harmful as regards protein absorption ; the smaller
amount of 13 ozs. is perhaps too low for a people accustomed to consume fairly
large quantities of rice.
94
We have already seen in Section III of this chapter that by decreasing the
amount of rice by 8 ozs. or so per man daily, a very much better absorption of
the protein of the diet is rendered possible. The questions would, therefore, arise
in advocating a change in the jail dietaries—would this not be sufficient, or is it
necessary to seek further for a better type of diet? There does not appear to be
any doubt but that this reduction would do all that is necessary, viz., permit of a
better protein absorption, and relieve the diet of some of its unnecessarily large
carbohydrate element.
It is generally admitted that the average amount of rice consumed by the
working people is 16 ozs. per head daily, and that the dal taken with the meals is
much below 6 ozs., so that the prisoner is better fed than the working population of
the country. We have, further, direct evidence that the prisoner's protein meta-
bolism is on a higher level than obtains in students, servants, etc., living on
dietaries of their own choosing.* It would, therefore, be no hardship, but on the
contrary a dietetic gain, for a member of the working population to be put on a
jail diet composed of 18 ozs. of rice and 6 ozs. of dal, or even 5 ozs. of dal. We
have no desire to enter into a discussion of the question whether jail diets should
be penal ; we may say in passing that such a thing is almost an impossibility with
diets founded on the food-stuffs in use in Bengal, for the scale of living is so low
amongst the great mass of the people that, short of starvation, it would be almost
impossible to frame dietaries for prisoners that would not be superior to those on
which a large proportion of the classes from which criminals are drawn already
exist. We are only concerned with the physiological side of the problem and with
the nutritive value of the dietaries—to see that the prisoner's food is given in
such quantities that a maximum good may result, and that he may be maintained
in health. If we can so arrange the form and quantities of the food materials
that these conditions are fulfilled we shall, at the same time, perform our duty to
the State by ensuring the greatest economy in the dieting of the prisoner.
Looking at the problem entirely from a physiological point of view—the fram-
ing of a diet, limited to rice and dal, that will provide a sufficiency of the actual
proximate principles, given in such quantities as will ensure their absorption to a
maximum extent—we have no hesitation in stating that a diet composed of—
Rice 18 ozs.
.
.
. .
.
. with the ordinary
Dals 5 or 6 ozs.
.
.
.
.
. 5
extras
is much superior to the present scale, not only as regards its physiological aspects
but also as regards the maintenance of the health of the prisoners. When rice and
dal are combined in these amounts the intestinal tract is able to absorb the
nitrogenous elements to a maximum extent and, at the same time, it is relieved
* Scientific Memoirs, No. 34.
95
from having to deal with the great mass presented by the ordinary jail diet. The
carbohydrate element offered even by this reduced scale is more than sufficient to
meet the daily requirements, for fuel to maintain body heat and as a source for the
energy of muscular contraction.
Further, it is superior to the diet available to the great bulk of the population
of lower Bengal, and fulfils the conditions laid down by Major Macnamara,
I.M.S.,* "the public obligations towards a prisoner are fully discharged as regards food,
when he is given a sufficiency to maintain him in health, though this amount does
not necessarily satisfy his craving or capacity."
If, therefore, it is considered advisable to limit the jail dietaries to the food
materials rice and dal, we strongly recommend a reduction to at most 20 ozs. of rice
with 5 ozs. of dal or 18 ozs. of rice with 6 ozs. of dal.
From the results of the investigations recorded in section (4) it would seem
advisable to consider the question of the addition of wheat ata or an animal pro-
tein to the lower Bengal scales. While it would not appear to be absolutely neces-
sary to add either of these food materials, the fact that, by giving a very small
amount of one of these more easily assimilable forms of protein, we can place the
nitrogenous metabolism of the prisoner on a higher scale, and, therefore, in all pro-
bability increase his power of resistance to disease, must be looked on as so much
gain—particularly so, as this can be done without increasing the cost.
The following collation of the results of observations in which an animal
protein or protein from wheat ata was substituted for part of the protein of the
ordinary Bengal jail dietary, shows how the addition of an assimilable protein
may best be carried out, and what its effects on protein metabolism are :—
Result extracted from Tables VII and VIII.
CONSTANTS.
Varying materials.
Per cent. of nitrogen
absorbed from diet.
Grms. of nitrogen per
man daily.
1
Rice 20 ozs.
Fish 6 ozs. .
.
.
64.58
10.93
Dals 6 „
„ 9 „
.
.
.
62.90
11.70
+
Wheat ata 6 ozs. .
.
64.63
10.07
2 Rice 20 ozs.
„ „
9 „
.
.
57.09
9.78
Dals 5 „
„ „ 4 „ †
.
.
68.01
8.87
3
Rice 18 ozs.
+
Wheat ata 4½ ozs. .
.
66.85
10.20
Dals 6 „
* Notes on Indian Jail Dietaries. Major Macnamara, I.M.S., 1906.
† The dal given in this observation was 5 ozs. of gram dal, which is about equal to 4 ozs. of any
other dal.
96
Results extracted from Table VII and VIII— contd.
CONSTANTS.
Varying materials.
Per cent. of nitrogen
absorbed from diet.
Grms. of nitrogen per
man daily.
4
+ Wheat ata 4 ozs.
.
.
67.41
8.64
„ „ 4 ½ „ + g o a t ' s
flesh 3.2 ozs.
66.33
10.09
Rice 18 ozs.
„ „ 4½ ozs. + fish
3.4 ozs.
67.67
10.23
Dals 4 „
„ „ 2.4 ozs.+goat's
flesh 2 ozs.
72.99
9.57
„ „ 2.4 ozs.+fish 3
ozs.
73.54
9.88
Contrasted with average for ordinary diet.
Rice 26 ozs.
.. Nil .
.
.
.
.
50.50
7.55
Dals 6 „
It is evident that with any of these types of diet we get a much better absorp-
tion than with the ordinary jail diet ; there must, therefore, be a proportionally
smaller residue for the intestines to deal with, and so much less opportunity for
intestinal putrefaction and fermentation. We are not concerned with the question
of vegetarianism nor with the degree of nitrogenous metabolism supposed to be
most beneficial to health ; what we are desirous of doing is to arrange the
constituents and the quantities of those constituents in such a manner that a
maximum effect will be obtained, thus entailing a minimum amount of waste and
an economical dieting of jails by the State.
With this object in view and ever bearing in mind its beneficial effects, so far as
can be at present judged on the health of the prisoner, we would recommend that,
in case it were deemed advisable to enlarge the list of the constituents of lower
Bengal jail diets, a reduction in both rice and dal be made with an addition of wheat
ata or—in certain prisons, where fish is easily and cheaply procurable—an inter-
changeable quantity of fish. The type of diet that would appear to give the best
results and leave the least residue would be on somewhat the following lines:—
Rice, Burma or country
.
.
.
.
. . 18 ozs.
Different dals available
.
.
.
.
. .
4 „
Wheat ata daily .
.
.
.
. .
4 „
or
Fish, in place of wheat ata twice a week when procurable .
4 „
Vegetables .
.
.
.
.
.
.
. .
6 „
Salt
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
. .
½ „
Condiments, etc. .
.
.
.
.
.
. . as in present scale.
97
We have placed all the prisoners in Puri jail on diets somewhat similar to
these for a period of about six months ; a report of the effects of the change, with
observations on the degree of nitrogenous metabolism, the health of the prisoners,
the effect on body weight, etc., will be found in its proper place. We do not con-
sider that an animal protein is at all essential in the dietaries of a practically
purely vegetarian people, and, therefore, would only recommend a change to
fish from an economical standpoint ; mutton, goat's flesh, etc., are not required.
While we do not consider that an animal protein is necessary there is no doubt
that the addition of even a small quantity appears to have a marked influ-
ence in assisting the absorption of protein from a diet of the Lower Bengal type.
We obtained evidence of this in some work carried out in Midnapore jail.
The custom in that jail is to give what is termed " fish relish "—a very small
amount of fish mixed with the rice. It is much in favour with the prisoners and,
as fish is cheap in Midnapore, the cost is purely nominal. The following are the
results of the protein absorption when a small quantity of fish is added to the
ordinary jail diet:—
Twenty prisoners observed over a period of seven days.
Fæces of prisoners pooled in batches of five.
BATCH.
Total nitro-
gen of
fæces.
N. of
rice.
N. of
dals.
N. of
vege-
tables.
N. of
fish.
Weight.
Grms.
Grms.
Grms.
Grms.
Grms.
Lbs.
Twenty prisoners, Bengalis
.
103.90
150.50
114.80
6.48
7.68
114.8
97.79
155.78
84.88
6.48
7.68
114.7
98.39
155.56
110.32
6.48
7.68
114.8
118.66
151.64
120.52
6.48
7.68
114.9
84.43
150.49
121.09
6.48
7.68
114.9
110.41
152.46
104.32
6.48
7.68
114.8
101.17
157.80
96.37
6.48
7.68
114.8
Total intake—
Total output
—
N. of rice
.
.
1,074.23 grms. N. of fæces
.
.
.
714.75 grms.
N. of dals
.
.
752.30 „
N. of vegetables
.
45.36 „
Total nitrogenous metabolism = 1 925.65
N. of fish
.
.
53.76 „
—714.75 grms.
= 1,210.90 „
= 62.88 p.c. of the nitrogen the diet
Total nitrogen intake .
1,925.65 grms.
= 8.65 grms. of nitrogen per man daily.
To this should really be added, in order to make the results comparable with
those in which the nitrogen of the urine was taken as the criterion, a certain amount
of nitrogen to cover the quantity passing out in the intestinal secretions. This
amount has been variously estimated ; but, accepting v. Noorden's value of
O
98
0.2 grms. nitrogen daily, we bring the nitrogenous metabolism up to 8.85 grms.
per man daily.
When this result was contrasted with the average 7.55 grms. of nitrogen
found for the absorption on the full jail diet, it appeared possible that the addition
of a small quantity of fish had exerted a very decided influence in assisting the
absorption of protein from the jail dietary. As the quantity of nitrogen per man
daily derived from fish was only 0.4 grms., and as it seemed to increase the pro-
tein absorption from the diet by more than this amount, it was at first thought pro-
bable that the animal protein had caused an increase in protein absorption greater
than could be accounted for in the amount of nitrogen furnished by the fish.
But, while not denying that an animal protein may by its presence exert a favour-
able influence on the absorption of vegetable protein, these results are open to a
simpler explanation. If the diet consumed by the prisoners be examined we find
that instead of the whole 26 ozs. being eaten, only—on an average—23 ozs. were
eaten, and that the full 6 ozs. of the different dals were not consumed. So that,
besides the addition of fish, we have two factors present, both of which we have
proved to have a decided influence in increasing the amount of protein ab-
sorption. When these two factors are taken into account and the absorption
from fish is added, the margin of difference is too small for us to be able to say
positively that the fish exerted any marked influence in increasing the absorption of
protein from the other constituents of the diet. For we have shown that with a
diet composed of 23 ozs. of rice and 6 ozs. of dal 8.09 grms. of nitrogen are ab-
sorbed ; also that a diminution in the amount of dal to about 5 ozs.—as happened
in these observations—is followed by an increased absorption. When the absorp-
tion from 0.4 grins. of nitrogen in the fish is added, and also the slight increase due
to the decrease in the amount of dal, the total absorption would come, almost
within the limits of experimental error, to the 8.85 grms., which was found to be
absorbed by the Midnapore prisoners.
It would not appear, therefore, that the addition of this small amount of fish
to the diet had much influence on the absorption of protein from the rice and
dal, at least, not when rice and dal were given in quantities of 23 ozs. and 5 ozs.,
respectively. Nevertheless, we believe that if it were found to be economical
the addition of a little fish to the diet would be much to the advantage of the
prisoners. It is not, however absolutely necessary, and the cost in some of the
jails might be prohibitive.
It could be done easily, we believe, in Puri, Midnapore, Buxar and Bhagalpur
jails, where fish is available in large quantities, either by purchase or by using
prison labour. In fact fish is available at cheap rates all over Bengal.
This brings us to an end of our investigations on the dietaries of Lower
Bengal jails, and the effects of certain modifications of these that have been
99
suggested. Granting that we are correct in assuming that the prisoner, on the-
average, lives on 7.55 grms. of nitrogen per day and that he remains healthy and
even puts on flesh on this amount, there is no urgent necessity to increase his nitro-
genous metabolism. But, when we find that the quantities of the component parts
of the diets are so great that they are beyond the amounts from which the best
absorption can take place, we have a very strong indication for the reduction of
those quantities to something approaching proper limits. Those limits we have
tried to lay down, and we believe that we have succeeded in defining them.
We find 18 ozs. of rice per man daily to be the amount from which a maxi-
mum absorption takes place ; we believe that it will be to the advantage of the
prisoners to reduce the dal to 4 ozs. per man daily and substitute for the 2 ozs
dal cut off, 4 ozs. of wheat ata—in certain prisons giving, say twice a week, 4 ozs.
of fish in place of the wheat ata. There is no doubt that in addition to being
beyond the amount from which a maximum absorption is obtained, the 6 ozs.
of dal of the jail diet have a decided. tendency to cause diarrhœa and digestive
disturbances ; we have therefore no hesitation in recommending the reduction of
this quantity to 4 ozs.
B.—BEHARI DIET.
We now come to a consideration of diets in which the quantity of rice should
not be the outstanding feature. The Beharis are much more a wheat-eating
than a rice-eating people, and therefore a larger proportion of the protein of the
dietaries of Behar jails is derived from wheat ata than from rice. The effect of
this is that the diet is very much superior to that of Lower Bengal jails in the
quantities of the proximate principles offered, more particularly with regard to
the amount of protein and fat.
The diet scales laid down for Behari jails are :—
Burma or country rice .
.
. . 16 ozs,
per man daily.
Different dals available .
.
.
. 6
„
Wheat ata .
.
.
.
. . 10 „
or
Makkai ata .
.
.
.
.
.
12 „
Vegetable
. .
.
.
.
. 6 „
Condiments, etc.
.
.
. . as before
We shall take up the investigations on the nutritive value of these diet scales
under the same heads and. in the same order as was done with regard to Bengali
diets. The experience gained in Bengal jails led us at once to the proper
method of investigation so that, instead of wasting time in trying to find a con-
stant co-efficient of absorption for the protein of the different elements of the diets,
we accepted the established. fact of the previous results that the co-efficient of