The Meeker herald., 1897-01-23
THE ARMY RATION,
Experiments to Produce . Con
centrated Food.
Noehi.e Yss.d to Take the R1ass e the
OIA.IAshiossd Rstion Of Baesa
and Hardtsck In 0alAa-
able Rulk.

States government to test the value OF
n concentrated army ration have quite
naturally proved failure They were
instituted by the secretary of war with
view to reducing the bulk and weight
of food without impair.ng it's ruuiti,e
functions. This appeared to lie necessi
lated by the fact t.ia; the American
army is more in need of possible IN
provements in this line, in view Of the
heavy, tedious and Ions Transportation
of supplies across the plains and
through districts that are incapable of
affording the proper amount and oual-
ity of food in times of cmergcncies
/ The German army, for example, when
moving in small bodies always ipur
chases supplies on the march as want
ed. The same is true of the French,
Russian, Austrian and other Eurebean
armies. but at the same time thd sci
dierE usuali,. have IN their knapecks
what is called an "emergency". ration,
generally sausage or preserved nent
OF SOM. kind The soldiers of ths Jap
ancse army in the late war with china
carried an emergency ration Of ne in
little tin case strapped to the Up Of
their liEapsachs.
The reports made by the different
military departments to which TIE
questions were referred arc interesting
as bearing upon the value of fooduod-
ucts generally and on the physiologi-
cal questions involved in the digestive
and nutritive processes more paeticu-
larly. Theoretically speaking, it
would appear that the problem had
been solved regarding the amount OF
food necessary to sustain life ard tie
varieties of sustenance that gave in
minimum compass the greatest AMOUNT
of nourishment.
All the observers agree, however.
that the old-fashioned ration ofbacon
and hard-tack in suitable bulk Is sthe
most practical that has ever been sug.
gested. The quantity of food neccs-
sary to keep soldier in good eondi-
tion is fixed at 90 ounces. The latter
amount Is increased for obvious rea-
sons to 20 ounces.
When the theories were put to prac-
tical test the result was as might have
been anticipated. Various concen.
trated food tablets were employed in
Colorado, 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.
ut Fort Logan, near Denver, was de-
tailed and furnished with condensed
~f
bread and bacon. The coffee and soup
were in small tablets, which, when
placed in boiling water, were ready for
6reeaadd was in small, fat cakes, the
weight and hardness OF brick. but
when moistenel swelled out like a
sponge. The bacon was complessed
and only needed to be warmed in fry
ing-pan. The soldiers started OUT with
ten days rations, but the campaign
was brought to nm abrupt end after
four days Of 15-mile marches. The
food no. only did not satisfy the hunger
or give strength, but seemed to irtitate
the stomach. After the first meal two
of the enlisted men had to be laced
under the surgeons care. At tho end
of the second day 80 of the 20 mh in
the company were i'll, and on the fcbrth
day the whole command went into
! camp, and couriers were sent to b,vn
for hard-tack and ordinary cofeeAnd
bacon. Some of the soldiers were 1e1i-
ously i'll with stomach complainth hnd
were confined to the hospital forScv-
eral days"
All this goes to show that not inly
very much is to be learned regarding
laboratory feeding, but that we are4lso
far from the proper appreciation of
natures complex requirements in pod
taking. Thus far the human lab 3la-
tory, with it's multiple, interdependnt
and Complementary Methods, hib q
monopoly OF it's own in fixing the
proper standards for digestion, as]m-
ilation and subsequent growth. Tire
is natural law pervading the wtDle
that must not be violated by too radical
attempts al modification or imprive-
ment.
The stomach must earn it's livinf in
its own way, rs by such purely ph!tio-
logical effort in bringing each andall
of its mechanical, vital and chemicaI
functions into play, it can best n3p-
tain its health, activity and usefuh tss.
No prepared or concentrated food <s p
relieve it of my OF all of its activities.
in that gradual conversion of o le,iti-
mate quantity and quality of food hat
constitutes a natural and perfec, di-
gestion.
In such an aspect a moderately full
stomach IL something more than q eel
ing. It's work must be Distribute
rather than restrictive. It mus be
BEAUTIFULLY distended with food b,lky
enough to occupy spare places; ot,rr-
wise, its most important functio, IL
hampered, while for lack of mech,ni-
cal stimulus the intestines become
stagnatcd into almost helpless inaciv-
ity.
Hence it is easy to see how the ex-
periments failed and the victims raid
the penalty of outraged physioloo;cal