Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-08-31
THE IDEAL ARMY RATION.

THE IDEAL ARMY RATION.
The ration OF the army today con-
sists Of the following constituents:
Fresh beef, or mutton when the cost
does not exceed that of beef, 20 ounces;
or pork or bacon, y ounces; or salt
beef, % ounces; or, when meat can
not be furnished, dried fish. is ounces
or corn meal, 20 ounces. Baking
| powder for troops in the field. when
necessary to enable them to bake their
| own bread, 1926 ounce. Beans or peas.
20 ounces; or rice or hominy, l 3-5
! ounces. Potatoes, 16 ounces; or po-
| tatOes II 4-5 ounces, and onions, 8 is
| ounces; or potatoes, II 1-5 ounces, or
canned tomatoes, As ounces, or 4 As
! ounces Of other fresh vegetables, not
canned, when they can be obtained in
the Vicinity Of the post, or transported
in a wholesome condition from dis
lance. Coffee, green, 3-5 ounces, or
| roasted coffee, 1925 ounces; or tea,
green or black, S-25 ounce. Sugar,
2-5 ounces; or molasses or cane
syrup, 1925 gill. Vinegar, S-25 gill;
salt, 1925 ounce; pepper black, 1-25
ounce.
A proper diet for the tropics, obvi-
ously, should be of vegetable char
acter. This would supply the ele-
ments Of energy, without unduly heat
ing the body. This is just what the
ideal rather should accomplish. 1t
should accommodate itself to the needs
Of the individual everywhere In the
north it should supply him with the
abundance of heat-producing elements
demanded by the colder climate, while
in the south it should limit that supply
and provide him with the diet suited
to his new environment. Ii should.
further, in southern or tropical cam
paigns, when barrack or camp life is
abandoned for active work in the field,
readily adapt itself to the increased
demand of the system for nitrogenous
elements; for field work, with its
greater activity, requires greater
energy-producing food than does the
Quieter life in barracks. This was il
Illustrated in several regiments that
visited Porto Rico, notably in one of
the artillery regiments which landed
about the same time as did my own,
the FIRST United States volunteer en-
gineers. This particular regiment saw
the hardest kind of work from the very
moment of it's arrival, until, upon the
signing Of the protocol, it was sent
north. During its stay on the island
about six weeks-the troops sub
sisted almost entirely upon the travel
ration" (much worse than the field
ration when viewed from the stand
point of the ideaD, but they had COM
paratiyely little sickness, the effect
of the excess of the heterogeneous ele-
ment having been neutralized by the
tremendously active life the men had
been compelled to lead.
In order to reach the ideal, then,
the present ration should be radically
changed. The beef and salt pork COM
pOnent should be cut in two, and far
inaceous food and fish substituted
There would be plenty of meat left
even then, for the old theory that
meat alone makes Drawn and muscle
has long since been exploded. Beef
has been beaten time and again on the
athletic field; and on the plains of
Marathon, in the great International
games recently held in the presence
of the king and assembled thousands,
the victorious champion in the 25-
mile foot race was he who had not
tasted a single ounce of meat in his
long course of training, Sailed .ra-
lions should also be issued but once.
or, at most, twice during the week,
and fresh supplies should be provided
from beef on the hOor at the point
where issued. Of the cereals, one of
the best is hominy, which is not only
nutritious and easily digested but is
relished by the men as we'll Equally
valuable is the rice component, and its
present issue should be quadrupled i'll
quantity. The black or red bean
(frijoD Of the tropics should be sub
stitUted, in southern ATTITUDES, for the
white bean of this country, and dried
fruits, especially apples and prunes,
should be added to the ration.-Dr.
Louis L. Seaman, in Leslie's Weekly.