Evening star., 1941-06-28
Of Stors, Men
And Atoms
Notebook of Science Progress
In Laboratory, Field
And Study
By Thomas r. Henrv.

DURHAM, N. H., June 2s-Boys In
Army camps are gaining an average of
10 pounds for the first three weeks of
training.
Such was the report to the American
| Association for the Advancement of
Science meeting here today by Mrs Mary
l. Barber, food consultant to the Quarter
master Corps of the Army.
At the same time Mrs. Barber made
some astounding revelations-probably
astounding. that is, to the draftees them
selves unless something miraculous has
| happened in % years.
x. P she said is no longer a dis
ciplinary measure and even If it was
would not be so bad with the new potato
peelers, toasters and slicers that have
been introduced into Army kitchens.
Only peeling onions, she said, remains
a job for which no machine can be
found. Mrs. Barber neglected to discuss
pot and pan scrubbing.
The boys have enough to eat, she said,
and diets are being adjusted so far as
possible to the tastes of selectees from
different parts of the country. Cookies
and homemade candy, she insisted, were
the only things fond mothers should
send them just to give a home flavor to
Army life. At that, she warned, it is
apt to go hard with the soldier if the
corporal finds crumbs under the bunk.
The diet remains essentially that of
1918, she said, except for more variety,
and it has improved continuously since
the first one was prescribed by the Con-
tinental Congress in 1776. Much has
been added and only the gill day of
whisky or rum has been eliminated.
She gave the history of American
Army rations as follows:
American Revolution:
One pound beef or salt fish, or three
fourths pouno of pork per day.
One pound bread or -four per day.
Three pints peas or beans week
One pint milk day.
Half pint Of rice or one pint corn meal
a week.
One quart of spruce beer or cider a
day or nine gallons of molasses per 100
men a week.
Three pounds candles per 100 men per
week.
Eight pounds hard soap per 100 men
per week
Milk is not mentioned again in the
diet of the American soldier for 100
years. In 1899 liquor was discontinued,
but the commander Of any detachment
was authorized to issue if he saw fit. a
half gill of rum or whisky per man per
day.
War of 1912:
Pound and quarter of beef or three
fourths pound of pork day.
Eighteen ounces of bread or -four a
day.
One gill of rum, whisky or brandy a
day.
Per 100 rations per day: Two quarts of
salt, four quarts of vinegar, four pounds
Of soap pound and a half of candles
For service in the South molaSses was
prescribed in place of alcohol
Civil War
Per day: 20 ounces beef, 18 ounces
-four, As ounce of yeast, 2.56 ounces Of
beans. 16 ounces of coffee, "a ounces
of sugar. 80 of a gill of vinegar, 64
ounces of salt, .04 ounces of pepper, ga
ounces of soap, "a ounces of candles.
Spanish War:
The only change was the addition of
Is ounces of potatoes.
World War:
Per day: Same as Spanish War with
these changes, per day:
Potatoes, 20 ounces: prunes, l28
ounces; sirup, 80 of an ounce: coffee,
1.l2 ounces; evaporated milk, half ounce
butter half ounce
For overseas duty there was pre-
scrlbed in addition a half pound of
candy every 10 days and four cigarettes
day. What became of the candy is a
mystery. The total World War food bill
was s727 ,092,430 The soldiers consumed
3777500000 pounds of food, issued as ra-
TONS