The Washington times., 1922-05-07


When the important part played
by vitamins in our nutrition came
to be recognized. this pellagra diet
was eagerly Investigated from that
point Of view. But II was quickly
found that though neither the fatty
nor the watery vitam!ns were
up to the ideal standard. they were
both present in fair AMOUNTS, par
ticularly the latter.
So that at latest findings the
trouble comes back to a shortage
In the diet Of proteins Of higher
quality. that is to say. those sup
piled only by meat, milk cheese,
butter and eggs. Goldberger sug-
gests State or community attempts
to increase the number OF cows
kept by farmers and workers and
the establishment Of all-year-round
meat markets, with the assistance
Of ice or refrigerating plants. as
one OF the most practical fmeans
Of solving the pellagra problem.
l feel a pardonable personal in
terest In these conclusions. because
careful study Of the nutrition
and health conditions OF the noun
taineers and cotton mill operatives
Of several Of our Southern States.
some ten years ago. led me to the
belief that shortage Of fresh meat
and milk was their most serious
food defect, and together with
hookworm and malaria, the cause
Of their well.known anaemia, list.
lessness and laziness. They were
in fact suffering from nitrogen
starvation. partly on account OF
the scarcity Of good. juicy. natural.
pasture grasses, and partly on ac-
count Of the difficulty OF handling
and preserving both meat and milk
in the absence Of ice.
INCREASING THE PAsTURAGE.
The pasturagc defect Is now be.
ing rapidly made good by the intro
duction OF alfalfa and other forage
plants and graf asses. by the splendid
work Of the United States Depart
ment Of Agriculture. which will
increase the supply Of both meat
and milk and render the all-year-
round meat markets advised by
Goldberger much easier to support.
Another straw pointing in the
same direction Is the report of the
committee Of inquiry into the out
break of pellagra among Turkish
prisoners of war In Egypt. which
Is ascribed to a shortage OF higher
quality proteins. that IL to say.
meat and milk. although the diet
was abundant and liberal in other
respects.
Meat and milk are also OF high
est value in the prevention and
cure OF ber1-beri in China and
Japan. In fact. the Japanese
army for eight years before the
Russo-Japanese war. had been on
a ration rich in meat. wheat flour,
cheese. apples and pork on this
account. The ration was closely
modelled on that of the then ad.
mired German army. and II was
this rich meat diet that enabled
the Japanese to inflict such a
crushing defeat upon the bread.
tea and cabbage soup eating Rus
slams. Meat eaters always lick
grass eaters.
DANGER IN EXCESS.
Meat. like any other rich and
stimulating food. has it's dangers
OF excess. though neither gout or
rheumatism Is one Of them. but
the best evidence at our disposal
today seems to show that In mod
crate amounts II is still indispen.
sable to any high twentieth cen
tury degree OF health and viGor.
Milk can. of course. largely take
Its place in children and II is we'll
for adults to reduce the tremen.
dous discrepancy between our fif-
teen pounds pc. caoiis Of fish per
year and our lis pc \ nds OF meat.
az well Al taking more OF our
protein in the form Of milk.
We may also cut down upon its
amount in summer time. because
II unquestionably gives off more
heat during the process OF diees-
tion than do other foods Of the
same energy value. Those OF US
over forty.five might we'll become
more Lenten in our diet. not only
in respect to meat. but in the to-
tai amount OF food. as we become
less active in our habits. Though
IL is certain that the part which
meat plays In the production Of
diseases of the kidneys and Of
hardening of arteries Is not one
tenth as great as we at ono time
believed. Its principal danger lies
In excess and at present prices
this seems likely to correct itself