Evening star., 1896-07-03
iE EMERGENCY RATION
Report Of the Board Which Has Considered
the Subject
Nutrition 1t Should COntain-Length
Of Time That 1t Can BE Ad-
vantaGeously Used.

Secretary Lament has received the report
Of tho beard Of officers appointed in March
last ito consider and recommend q proper
ration for troops operating In emergencies"
ard also to report upon the minimum
amount Of articles VI food necessary to
sustain a soldier In health and activity
while in active service ID the field for q
limited period" The board consisted Of
Maj. Charles Smart. surgeon: Maj. Charles
A. Woodruff. commissary Of subsistence;
Maj. Z. A. Darlington. inspector general:
Capt. Louis A. Craig. 9Th Cavalry, and
First Lieut. VIM. c. Brown. LIST Cavalry.
The report Of the board -is an elaborate
document, and considers the subject in all
Its phttes The board concurs in the view
OF the various department boards that 1t
would be unwise to select as the staples Of
an emergency ration aEy article Of food
with which the soldier Is not familiar, or
which would make q material change In mis-
dietary during the continuance of the
emergency. 1t therefore rejects suggestions
Of bread containing oat meal, all penn
mtcans or meat pastes prepared from dried
or powdered beef, corned beef and dri I'd
and smoked beef, nred cooked beef pep
tonized or partially predigested meat. &c.
The board also decided that the three food
staples Of the emergency ration to he
recommended for adoption should, in gen.
eral terms. consist of hard bread, bacon
and some variety Of compressed soup.
What 1t Should Contain.
Guided by considerations Of nutrition,
weight. convenience, general utility, &C.,
the board decided that "the emergency
ration should contain as much OF the prox-
innate principles Of food as Is necessary to
sustain the soldier under the maximum of
physical strain" As meeting these reuuire-
Ments 1t was decided that the amounts of
r ,nvntn
ration should be as follows: Hard bread
III o.; bacon, 10 o.. pea meal, 4 o.; coffee
toasted and ground with gr saccharin).
20. o. or " o.: tea. with 4 gr. saccharin:
salt. "a o.; pepper .O4 o.; tobacco, " o.,
making total weight, with coffee. of "a "a
c., or with tea, 81 .6S o.
II was also recommended by the board
that the subsistence department supply
suftanie bags In such numbers as may be
necessary Tor carrying the roasted coffee
and the salt and pepper; also a tough
Pafamn paper Tor use In wrapping about
bacon when carried on the person, and also
that the pea meal be issued in q compressed
cylindrical package. In general terms the
components OF the suggested ration con.
slst OF 70 ID ounces water free food having
an available energy equivalent to A,1l0
calories.
The board says that the ration ia NOT
INTENDED Tor continuous use, Dtt only for
Use occasionally and for short periods. The
objective In Its construction ts the largest
food value In the smallest weight. 1t gives
close upon the standard dietary quantity
needfua to repair muscular wastes
Can Last Ten Days.
In concluding its report the board ex-
presses the belief from the evidence before
Il that men In well fed and healthy con-
dition at starting can undergo the ordinary
fatigues and hardshps Of an active cam
Iaign for at least ten days on the equiva-
lent Of a subsistence diet such as that
given by Playfair and without any impair
ment Of health resulting from the tempo
Iarily restricted diet.
The board concluded from its expert
ments that emergency rations for five days
should be the maximum number of rations
to be carried on the person Of the soldier
In emergencies Of less than five days the
board says the troops should be required
to carry the full ration for the number of
days stated. I'm emergencies of longer
DURATION says the board, "the command
irg officers may direct economy In the use
Of the ration. so that the five days rations
may be made to last for any number Of
days not exceeding ten. From their char
actor as issued, the articles Of the ration
are susceptible of accurate subdivision, by
which means they may be used with any
degree Of liberalNy between q minimum Of
subsistence diet and q maximum emery
ency. or hard labor diet.