Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-12-11
DR.. Smart Says 1t is the Best in the
World.
It's FLEXIDILIFY AND ELASTICITY
Difference Between 1t and the Diet
of a Soldier.
C II A N G ES IN tt r NJ s

Col. Charles Smart. deputy surgeon gen.
eral has written paper in general defense
of 1.-The army ration" In which he says:
Articles have appeared recently in the
public press criticiSing the army ration, de-
nouncing its unsuitabity for troops in
tropical climate and urging radical
change in its character. These articles are
based on the elementary propositions that
while fatty foods are good where high
development of animal heat is required.
they are harmful in climate where there
is call on the system for large heat
production. Every reader is willing to
grant these propositions. They are simple
and can be verified every summer and win
ter by the inhabitants of the north tenn
perate zone. There are twelve ounces of
bacon in the army ration, and this is no
doubt excess of fat for a dietary in the
tropics. But it does not follow that the
army ration should, therefore. be changed.
The critics who see so clearly that the
ton should be altered to suit their
views of what is right and proper
to be eaten in tropicl climates and
who are astounded at the duliness of
those army officials who think it wise to be
slow in doing anything of this Kind do not
appear to know that the army ration is run
on broader gauge than the elementary
propositions which form the basis of their
argument.
DIet
There is in the army of the United States
a considerable difference between the ration
of the soldier and the diet of the soldier
The critics of the army ration do not I'M
derstand this. The ration is the allowance
for the subsistence of one person for one
day. The diet is what is actually prepared
in the kitchen for consumption by the SOL
der day by day. The ration is prescribed
by law and consists of the meat, the bread,
hn frltf BIO
sugar the seasoning and the soup and can
die componentS.
The meat component docs not consist of
fat pork or bacon, is those who know moth
Ing OF the domestic economy of army kitch-
ems appear to believe. On the contrary
there is some variety in the meat compo-
nent 1t consists of twenty ounces of fresh
beef. or twenty ounces of mutton when
the cost does not exceed that of beef or
Twelve ounces of pork, twelve ounces of
macon, or twenty-five ounces of salt beef
or fourteen ounces of dried fish. eighteen
ounces of picked fish. or twenty ounces of
canned salmon, or eighteen ounces of fresh
fish.
The bread component consists of eighteen
ounces of flour with baking powder when
the men have to bake their own bread
or Is ounces Of soft bread or l6 ounces of
hard bread, or ~ ounces of cornmeaI
The vegetable compOnents consist of %
ounces OF Deans, or % ounces of peas
or / 50 ounces of rice. or l 3-5 ounces of
honiny and 10 ounces of potatoes or II A.
ounces OF potatoes and 10 ounces of on
ions, or II 10 ounces of potatoes and 4-5
ounces of canned tomatoes, or 4-J ounces
OF other fresh vegetables, not canned when
they can be obtained IN the vicinity or
transported in wholesale condition from
a diSta nee
The fruit component consists of . ounces
of dried fruit. such as prunes peaches, or
apples. The othe" components consist of
coffee green, or coffee roasted. or tea green
or black. and sugar: or molasses or cane
sirup; vinegar, salt and black pepper and
TO these are added the soap and candle
com3oncnts.