The Meeker herald., 1896-03-14
THE ARAY RATION.
Experiments to Produce . Con
centreted Food
Sethine Found to Take tho Place Of the
Old-Fash;oscd Ration of DAeon
and AArd:aek In Suita-
absc EIlk.

The recent experiments Of the United
states -ovcrau,ent TO test the value OF
ca.irSc.,i--s.gti a7I-y ration have quite
naturally f-ovsd a failure They we're
Instituted ~ the secretary OF war with
vis.yy {, ir,.,se'rg Z sile tuil. aI:l weight
OF lcol v.tlout .lf;,ir:nf. its I.u.sitite
func,;o2s. This n9re1sc;! 70 be Eeccssi-
tated - the fact tllut Tho American
amy Is more in Lceti Of possible III
provs.s5r MIS- i. this line, in view Of the
heavy, tedious ai..l iGEs transportation
| Of supplies HEROES the plains md
lthfoagh Districts that are incapable of
a!Torc.oss 'as proper amount AID qu:I-
Iity OF food in times Of emergencies.
| The German array, for example, when
moving in small bodies always pnr-
chases supplies on the march us want
ed. The sane is true of the French.
Russian, Austrian and other European
armies. but Il; the same time the sol
der: usually have IN their knapsachs
what is called an emergency" ration.
generally sausage or preserved meat
| of SOM. kind The soldiers of the Jap
anese army in the late war with China
carried an emergency ration OF rice in
u little tin case strapped to the top OF
| their lsEapsachs.
The reports made by the different
military DEPARTMENTS to which the
| questions were referred are interesting
as bearing upon the value OF food prob
ucts generally and on the physiologi-
cal questions involved in the digestive
and nutritivc processcE more particu-
larly. theoretically speaking, 1t
would appear that the problem had
been solved regarding the amount of
| food necessary 10 sustain life and the
varieties of sustennnce that gave in
minimum compass the greatest amount
of nouiishment.
| All the observers agree, however,
that the old-fashioned ration of bacon
and hart,-tacll in suitable bulk is the
most practical that has ever been sug-
gested. The quantity of food neces-
sary to keep soldier in good condi-
ZION is fixed at % ounces. The latter
amount is increased for obvious rca-
sons to 26 ounces.
| When the theories were put to prac-
tical test the result was as might have
been Anticipated. Various conccn-
trated food tablets were employed in
Cole RADIO, but more than half the men
who were victims to the experiment
became candidates for hospital treat
ment. The following extract from the
report speaks very significantly on
| some very essential and striking facts:
| "a company of the Seventh infantry.
at Fort Logan, near Denver, was de-
tailed and furnished with condensed
rations. consisting of coffee. soup,
4s4s Azssd hpd n dsms ZEE eo1ss ssss and -oeP
placed in boiling water, were ready for
consumption in two minutes. The
bread was in small, fat cakes, the
weight and hardness of q brick, but
when moistened swelled out like =
sponge. The bacon was compressed
and only needed to be warmed in q fry
ing-pan. The soldiers started out with
ten days rations, but the campaign
was brought to an abrupt end after
four days OF 15-mile marches. The
food no, only did not satisfy the hunger
or give strength, but seemed to irritate
the stomach. After the first meal, two
of the enlisted men had to be placed
under the surgeons care. At the end
of the second day so of the 20 men in
the company were i'll, and on the fourth
day the whole command went into
camp, and couriers were sent to town
for hart-tack and ordinary coffee and
bacon. Some of the soldiers were seIi-
ously i'll with stomach complaint, and
were confined to the hospital for sew
eral days.
II All this goes to show that not only
very much is to be learned regarding
laboratory feeding, but that we are also
far from the proper appreciation OF
natures complex requirements in food
taking. Thus far the human labora-
tory, with its multiple, interdependent,
and complementary methods, has a
monopoly of its own in fixing the
proper standards for digestion, assim-
ilntion and subsequent growth. There
il natural law pervading the whole
that must not be violated by too radical
attempts at modification or improve
ment.
The stomach must earn it's living in
It's own way, as by such purely physio-
logical effort in bringing each and all
of its mechanical, vital and chemical
functions into play, it can best MAN
tain its health, activity and usefulness.
No prepared or concentrated food can
relieve it of any or all of its activities
in that gradual conversion of n leg;ti-
mate quantity and quality of food that
constitutes a natural and perfect di-
gestion.
In such an aspect n moderately full
stomach issomething more than feel
ing. It's work must be distributive
rather than restrictive. It must be
BEAUTIFULLY distended with food bulls >
enough to occupy spare places; other
wise, its most important function is
hampered, while for lack OF mechani-
cal stimulus the intestines become
stagnatcd into almost helpless inactiv-
ity.
Hence it is easy to see how the ex-
periments failed and the victims poid
AZ II ~.f.. s<-v-, <~I