The Washington times., 1916-01-12
THE TIMES DAILY MAGAZINE PAC
Energy Value
OF Food Lies
In Heat Units
By DIR. J.. K. HIRSHBERG.
~ GOD Is the first. essential of man.
- From Il the human structure

~ GOD Is the first essential of man,
r. From II the human structure
grows. and from II arises work
and sweat of the brow and the
slnewy activities and heat that make
the wheels Of life go around. "
Inc energy value of a ration Is so
10 speak, It's smallest common denonI-
hator. Food gives strength and energy.
but 1t must also give new tissues, as
wei as reserve forces. against disease.
School children know that heat can
De changed to work. work to electricity.
electricity to light. light to motion. and
so on. In fact. all types Of force can
be transformed. 1t Is only necessary To
measure the heat that any food gives
iorth to know what power it has. For
example, the temperature to which a
given amount OF water Is raised indi-
Gates 1he heat 1t can produce. The
amount OF heat required to elevate a
kiioRram Of water one centlgrade de-
gree called heat unit or calorie.
Determining Values.
To find the calorific value OF anv
given quantity Of food. say one pound.
IL Is placed in a vessel filed with oxy-
gen under pressure. This .'bomb" ia
paced In vessel containing two
quarts OF water. into which an accurate
thermometer has been placed. A plat
mum wire in contact with the food IN
iinked with an electric circuit When
turned on the fire flashes and burns IN
the food and oxygen. The heat eener-
ated is taken up by the water, which
Is stirred steadily and automaticaIIv
Ihe highest point of the mercury in the
thermometer is registered and multipli-
catlon gives the number of calories
meter % N'u ea'oii
II the ordinary American thermometor
,fahrenheitl were used, n calaric would
pe almost that amount of heat used to
raise kI one quart of water two degrees.
Albumens give 81, fats ga stsrches
ana sugars Al calories for each Is grains
or one gram. Fatty foods thus are
seen TO give most energy, but sugars
ahd starches taste better. and more of
them can be beaten. To say that a par
ticular food gives So many calories
means that when one pound Ia burned
mat particular number of salories Is
set t iree A sirloin steak has 1880 Gallo
res. Ihat Is, each pound yields 11So
ca!orics-rery little as you see, because
Il holds SO per cent water
Other Food Values.
Olive oil has n caloriic value Of 1870.
heef, on the other hand, gives 124s.
while salt pork does even better with
2555. and smoked bacon z715.
Rump, round steak and ribs run from,
1000 to llC calories. Lamb and leg Of
mutton average near $40 calories f,oi,l
chops or mutton. however range above
400 calories. Tenderloin of beef strange
70 say, furnishes as a rule less energy
than any Of these meats. having a Gallo
ritlc value OF only s25. yet It is often the
most desirable and expensive.
Veal Is poorer IN value containing only
200 calurics. Chicken may be as low as
500 cal0ries. while turkey rises 10 t1Iof
Canned salmon gives S15, and Holsters
only lH calores. Oysters. cod. mackerel
shad end halibut are disappointing. and
commonly run from 200 to $50 calorics
Beans and butter have 1850 and 3401
calories, respectively. Cheese. eggs
cereals. bI cad. cakes. crackers. peas
and fruits have from 300 to 1900 calories.
tCopy't 1915, by Newspaper Feature servIl.,.