Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1914-10-16
FOOD ADJUSTMENT.


ing truth which has entirely escaped
attention. This is due to the fact that
the movement has necessarily been
involved in much that is in the nature
of commercial warfare, and in COM
mercial campaigns a well turned
phrase or glittering epigram is fire.
quently preferred to Straightforward
statement of fact.
We have, for instance, heard much
that is both true and false about ben
zoate of soda, but neither side has felt
called on to state the whole truth.
which is that as general proposition
the average individual is vastly better
off without any of the dietetic whips
around which the battle RACES. We do
not need instruction in the compost.
ton of sauces and dressings for our
foods, but we are sadly in need of in.
structions as to how to select and pre-
pare nutritious and healthful diet.
The average individual among lay.
men and physicians alike regards the
fundamental problems of food and diet
as permanently solved The fallacy OF
this belief is quickly shown by a. brief
study of the mortality tables published
by the United States bureau of census.
These tables show a progressive de-
crease in mortality from all dis.
eases other than those directly con-
nected with metabolism, while the
mortality from diseases caused by de-
ranged metabolism show progressive
increase per 100000 population. OBJ
viously the fundamental problems OF
food and diet are far from being un.
derstood or solved, and probably the
most imperfectly understood part Of
the problem is that of the quantity OF
food needed for the support of man.
Careful, painstaking Investigations
for many years in many parts Of the
world have reduced human food re-
quirements to basis where the guam:
tity has become a matter of accurate
estimation rather than of intuition
and the increased demand for food
fuel for the worker need no longer re-
main yelled in the mystery of guess
work.
About the latest word from the in
vestigators In this field comes from
Becker and Mamalinen in Finland
Tests conducted by them for deter
mining the amount of energy required
for eight hours labor at various occu
pations are as follows:
Women.
Galleries
One sea1nstress with needle. 800
One seamstress with sewing machine. 1,9W
One seamstress with sewing machine. 2, 100
One bookbinder .........................1, 1900
One bookbinder ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. ,lW
Two servants polishing silver, wash
ing windows, ETC.. 2, 800, 2,9N
Same two servants washing
clothes, ..........................2 600, $500
Men.
Two tallorS ....................-...z,4 Vo, LOW
One bookbinder ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 2,W
One shoemaker .................."..2,o wv
Two metal workers, filling and ham
mering ........., ...................3,IO ' S,aU
Two carpenters making tables. 3 200, 3, 300
Two painters painting furniture. 3 200, $500
Two stonemasons, chiseling tomb
stones ...............'..'4,ooV T. Nv
Two men saving wood. 1900 D, 4oO
1t must be very clear to any person
reading the above table that there is
direct relation between the number
and character of the movements in
the several occupations to make so
distinct a difference in the amount OF
food required to furnish this energy,
and also that there is some material
difference in metabonc efficiency be-
tween those engaged In the same lines
of work Or, perhaps. the difference
shown may be due to differences in in
dividual bulk. However, that is mat
ter for future consideration, the point
to be considered at this time being the
adjustment of food to occupation.
Bearing in mind the fact that the ca
| lorie is equal to the energy expended
in raising 1.54 tons one foot, it is very
evident that an individual on the diet
of the seamstress or the tailors would
quickly suffer physical collapse at the
work Of saving wood.
The other side of the question Is,
What happens to the sedentary work
ers, those on o par with the seam
stress and the tailor, who are on the
diet of the wood sawyers? There are
thousands of them in all our great
cities, individuals who eat with their
eyes and palates. They are wasting
fuel and making of themselves dem d
moist unpleasant bodies"
Barring organic diseases, the indiv-
idual with the wisdom personally to
make it his business to investigate
his machine to the end of determining
his fuel requirements and how to sat
isfy the legitimate food demands Of his
daily occupation need never feel I'M
duly distressed by heat 1t would not
seem that there should be any argu-
ment on so simple and clear state
ment of facts, especially as like re-
suits have been recorded by compe-
tent investigators In practically every
country in the civilized world. But for
some reason individuals who will
promptly accept the latest and most