Physiological Economy in Nutrition

Wednesday, June 1, 1904

Breakfast.—Champagne wafer 21.5 grams, tea 146 grams, sugar 15 grams.

Dinner.—Bread 67.4 grams, butter 15.1 grams, beefsteak 55.5 grams, potato 128 grams, asparagus 103.5 grams, tea 146 grams, sugar 15 grams, banana 83.5 grams.

Supper.—Bread 15.7 grams, butter 11.8 grams, banana and nuts 106 grams, crullers 90.2 grams, coffee 145 grams, sugar 15 grams.

Food.		Grams.	Per cent Nitrogen.			Total Nitrogen.
Champagne wafer		21.5	×	0.64	=	0.138	gram.
Tea		146.0	×	0.015	=	0.022
Sugar	15 + 15 + 15 =	45.0	×	0.000	=	0.000
Bread	67.4 + 15.7 =	83.1	×	1.46	=	1.212
Butter	15.1 + 11.8 =	26.9	×	0.10	=	0.027
Banana		83.5	×	0.28	=	0.192
Beefsteak		55.5	×	4.72	=	2.620
Potato		128.0	×	0.32	=	0.410
Asparagus		103.5	×	0.35	=	0.362
Tea		146.0	×	0.033	=	0.048
Crullers		90.2	×	1.04	=	0.938
Banana and nuts		106.0	×	0.69	=	0.731
Coffee		145.0	×	0.060	=	0.087
	Total nitrogen in food					6.787	grams.
	Total nitrogen in urine					5.960

Fuel value of the food 1913 calories.

Thursday, June 2, 1904.

Breakfast.—Bread 30 grams, tea 146 grams, sugar 15 grams.

Dinner.—Clam chowder 270.5 grams, bread 64 grams, butter 14.5 grams, lobster 36.5 grams, Saratoga chips 15 grams, caramel custard 79 grams, tea 146 grams, sugar 15 grams.

Supper.—Bread 35.2 grams, butter 13.8 grams, pineapple 148.7 grams, crullers 84.8 grams, tea 140 grams, sugar 15 grams.

Food.		Grams.	Per cent Nitrogen.			Total Nitrogen.
Bread		30.0	×	1.46	=	0.438	gram.
Tea		146.0	×	0.045	=	0.066
Sugar	15 + 15 + 15 =	45.0	×	0.00	=	0.000
Bread	64 + 35.2 =	99.2	×	1.44	=	1.428
Butter	14.5 + 13.8 =	28.3	×	0.10	=	0.028
Clam chowder		270.5	×	0.34	=	0.920
Lobster		36.5	×	3.73	=	1.361
Saratoga chips		15.0	×	0.97	=	0.146
Caramel custard		79.0	×	0.77	=	0.608
Tea		146.0	×	0.036	=	0.053
Tea		140.0	×	0.036	=	0.050
Pineapple		148.7	×	0.054	=	0.080
Crullers		84.8	×	1.04	=	0.882
	Total nitrogen in food					6.060	grams.
	Total nitrogen in urine					5.810

Fuel value of the food 1921 calories.

Friday, June 3, 1904.

Breakfast.—Bread 31 grams, tea 146 grams.

Dinner.—Fried ham 61 grams, asparagus 124.2 grams, baked potato 85 grams, bread 29 grams, butter 23.5 grams, tea 140 grams, sugar 15 grams, pineapple 74.8 grams.

Supper.—Bread 34 grams, butter 17.8 grams, pineapple 158.5 grams, tomato 132.5 grams, cup cake 121 grams, tea 140 grams, sugar 15 grams.

Food.		Grams.	Per cent Nitrogen.			Total Nitrogen.
Bread	31 + 20 + 34 =	94.0	×	1.44	=	1.354	grams.
Tea		146.0	×	0.039	=	0.057
Fried ham		61.0	×	4.90	=	2.989
Asparagus		124.2	×	0.50	=	0.621
Baked potato		85.0	×	0.55	=	0.468
Butter	23.5 + 17.8 =	41.3	×	0.10	=	0.041
Tea		140.0	×	0.027	=	0.038
Sugar	15 + 15 =	30.0	×	0.000	=	0.000
Pineapple	74.8 + 158.5 =	233.3	×	0.065	=	0.152
Tea		140.0	×	0.054	=	0.076
Tomato		132.5	×	0.150	=	0.199
Cup cake		121.0	×	0.85	=	1.029
	Total nitrogen in food					7.024	grams.
	Total nitrogen in urine					7.300

Fuel value of the food 2011 calories.

Saturday, June 4, 1904.

Breakfast.—Bread 32 grams, tea 140 grams.

Dinner.—Hash 133 grams, peas 151.5 grams, bread 61.4 grams, butter 16.1 grams, custard 150 grams, sugar 15 grams, tea 140 grams.

Supper.—Bread 62.5 grams, butter 17 grams, tea 140 grams, sugar 15 grams.

Food.		Grams.	Per cent Nitrogen.			Total Nitrogen.
Bread		32.0	×	1.44	=	0.461	gram.
Tea		140.0	×	0.021	=	0.029
Hash		133.0	×	1.50	=	1.995
Peas		151.5	×	1.04	=	1.576
Bread	61.4 + 62.5 =	123.9	×	1.47	=	1.821
Butter	16.1 + 17 =	33.1	×	0.10	=	0.033
Custard		150.0	×	0.78	=	1.170
Sugar	15 + 15 =	30.0	×	0.00	=	0.000
Tea		140.0	×	0.033	=	0.046
Tea		140.0	×	0.030	=	0.042
	Total nitrogen in food					7.173	grams.
	Total nitrogen in urine					6.780

Fuel value of the food 1297 calories.

NITROGEN BALANCE.—Underhill.

		Nitrogen Taken in.		Output.
				Nitrogen in Urine.		Weight of Fæces (dry).
June	1	6.787	grams.	5.96	grams.	10	grams.
	2	6.060		5.81		10
	3	7.024		7.30		25
	4	7.173		6.78		6
						51	grams contain 5.81 % N.
		27.044		25.85	+	2.963	grams nitrogen.
		27.044	grams nitrogen.		28.813	grams nitrogen.

Nitrogen balance for four days	=	-1.760	grams.
Nitrogen balance per day	=	-0.442	grams.

Average Intake.

Calories per day	1785.
Nitrogen per day	6.73 grams.

---

Dr. Arthur L. Dean, Instructor in Plant Physiology in the Sheffield Scientific School, twenty-five years of age, and weighing 64 kilos, likewise became a subject of study in this investigation. He is a man of strong physique, and as an undergraduate student at Harvard University trained for various athletic events. He began on the experiment October 13, 1903, and continued until April 3, 1904. From October 13th to October 27 he followed his usual dietary habits, simply reducing in some measure the amount of food consumed. During this period of fifteen days, the average excretion of nitrogen per day through the kidneys was about 12 grams. On the 28th of October he began to reduce in still greater measure the amount of proteid food eaten, and gradually diminished the extent of his proteid metabolism, although not to the same degree as the preceding subjects. He had full freedom of choice in the character and quantity of his diet, but his food was characterized by a predominance of vegetable matter, with an almost complete exclusion of meat.

For a period of nearly six months, or more exactly, from October 28 to April 3, the average daily output of nitrogen through the kidneys amounted to 8.99 grams, while the average daily output of uric acid was 0.386 gram. This daily excretion of 8.99 grams of nitrogen implies a metabolism of 56.18 grams of proteid. This, to be sure, means a reduction in proteid metabolism of about 50 per cent, as compared with the Voit and other standards, but does not show an economy equal to that practised by the preceding subjects. It is to be noted, however, in Dr. Dean’s case, that the body-weight did not show at any time in the experiment a tendency to diminish. In fact, all through the experiment his body-weight was a little higher than at the beginning.

Dean

Date.		Body-weight.	Urine.
			Volume. 24 hours.	Sp. Gr.	Nitrogen.		Uric Acid.		P₂O₅.
1903		kilos	c.c.		grams		gram		grams
Oct.	13	63.2	1100	1017		10.63		0.323		2.38
	14		1050	1020		9.83
	15		1390	1018		14.93		0.432		1.98
	16		1370	1017		11.26
	17		1350	1019		11.18
	18		1670	1017		11.62		0.490		2.51
	19	63.2	1075	1018		10.19
	20		1260	1015		9.98		0.483		1.88
	21		1350	1020		13.04
	22		1405	1015		11.38		0.431		2.07
	23		1240	1020		11.98
	24		1200	1023		11.16
	25		1365	1018		11.97		0.395		2.02
	26		1195	1020		10.75
	27		1240	1021		11.90		0.477		1.97
	28		1704		⎫	9.29 daily average		0.398 daily average		1.69 daily average
	29		1105		⎪
	30	64.5	1180		⎬
	31		910		⎪
Nov.	1		710		⎭
	2		1540		⎫	8.54		0.354		1.65
	3		1250		⎪
	4		1300		⎬
	5		975		⎪
	6		1150		⎭
	8	64.6	1192	1025		10.86		0.493
	9		845		⎫	8.84		0.368		1.85
	10		1255		⎪
	11		1245		⎪
	12		1540		⎬
	13		940		⎪
	14		1300		⎪
	15		1065		⎭
	16	64.5	1165		⎫	9.45
	17		910		⎭
	18		840			10.59		0.444
	19		1720	1012		10.32		0.331		1.95
	20		640	1022		8.60		0.336	⎫	1.75
	21		1310	1016		9.27		0.378	⎬
	22		720	1026		8.42		0.415	⎭
	23	64.7	900		⎫	8.22		0.322		1.74
	24		1520		⎪
	25		1095		⎪
	26		710		⎬
	27		700		⎪
	28		1140		⎪
	29		1200		⎭
	30		820		⎫	8.15		0.362		1.68
Dec.	1		1335		⎪
	2	64.5	940		⎪
	3		970		⎬
	4		1240		⎪
	5		1190		⎪
	6		720		⎭
	7		1160		⎫	9.12		0.342		2.11
	8		960		⎪
	9		850		⎪
	10		935		⎬
	11		945		⎪
	12		1425		⎪
	13	64.3	1065		⎭
	14		770		⎫	9.08
	15		790		⎭
	30		1230	1017	⎫	8.60		0.375		1.80
	31	66.1	1525	1020	⎪
1904					⎬
Jan.	1		1010	1021	⎪
	2		1270	1020	⎪
	3		1230	1020	⎭
	4		820		⎫	8.42		0.338		1.76
	5		1425	1018	⎪
	6		1100	1021	⎪
	7		1025	1021	⎬
	8		760		⎪
	9		1450	1019	⎪
	10	65.8	1410	1016	⎭
	11		1030	1017	⎫	8.51		0.428
	12	65.0	830	1023	⎪
	13		790	1025	⎪
	14		1070	1020	⎬
	15		1300	1019	⎪
	16		925	1025	⎪
	17		1100	1023	⎭
	18		850	1025	⎫	8.23
	19		1120	1019	⎪
	20		1005	1020	⎪
	21		1270	1020	⎬
	22		980	1020	⎪
	23		650		⎪
	24		980	1024	⎭
	25	65.5	1000		⎫	8.85		0.395		1.67
	26		940		⎪
	27		1350		⎪
	28		840		⎬
	29		675		⎪
	30		740		⎪
	31		1160	1017	⎭
Feb.	1		700		⎫	8.22		0.381		1.19
	2		860		⎪
	3		925		⎪
	4		590		⎬
	5		835		⎪
	6		935		⎪
	7		930		⎭
	8		1035	1017		9.00
	9	64.1	800	1027		8.64		0.432
	10		940	1020		8.29		0.314
	11		720	1030		8.55		0.364
	12		860	1023		9.93		0.348
	13		980	1022		8.87		0.379
	14	63.9	1285	1022		8.33		0.385
	15		910		⎫	9.30		0.301
	16		1210		⎪
	17		1455		⎪
	18		1000	1022	⎬
	19		1420		⎪
	20		1050		⎪
	21	64.5	1365		⎭
	22		765		⎫	9.685		0.423
	23		1070		⎪
	24		1080		⎬
	25		1495		⎪
	26		970		⎪
	28		750		⎭
	29		725		⎫	10.31		0.410
Mar.	1		1100		⎪
	2		990	1024	⎪
	3		1180		⎬
	4		1100		⎪
	5		1010		⎪
	6		970		⎭
	7		790		⎫	8.99		0.433
	8	64.4	670		⎪
	9		840		⎪
	10		1110		⎬
	11		1090		⎪
	12		755		⎪
	13		1220		⎭
	14		745		⎫	8.24		0.368
	15		1030		⎪
	16		1040		⎪
	17		1080		⎬
	18		1390		⎪
	19		795		⎪
	20	64.0	840		⎭
	21		720		⎫	9.26		0.545
	22		970		⎪
	23		1200		⎪
	24		845		⎬
	25		1000		⎪
	26		1180		⎪
	27		1750		⎭
	28		820		⎫	9.59		0.409
	29		710		⎪
	30		1100		⎪
	31		770		⎬
Apr.	1		1250		⎪
	2		885		⎪
	3	65.0	630		⎭
Daily average from Oct. 28, 1903			1035	1021		8.99		0.386		1.73

On February 9, a nitrogen balance was attempted, when for a period of six days a careful comparison of intake and output of nitrogen was made. The results show that while during this period of six days 52.999 grams of nitrogen were ingested, there was an output through the urine and fæces of 61.13 grams of nitrogen, thus indicating a minus balance for this period of 1.355 grams of nitrogen per day. The average daily intake of nitrogen was 8.83 grams. The average daily output of nitrogen through the kidneys was 8.77 grams, being 0.22 gram less than the average daily excretion through the kidneys for the six months’ period. The fuel value of the food for this period averaged 2529 calories per day. The nitrogen balance, however, is so strikingly a minus balance that we are forced to conclude the above quantities of food were not quite sufficient to meet the needs of the body under the then existing conditions. Still, the fact that the body-weight during the entire period of six months showed no tendency downward implies that during this longer period the body must have been essentially in nitrogen equilibrium, under conditions whereby there was a metabolism of only 56 grams of proteid per day. As before stated, this means a physiological economy, as contrasted with existing standards, of about 50 per cent in proteid food. So far as was to be seen, the bodily strength and vigor of the subject, like his body-weight, were fully maintained under the restricted diet, but, for some reason, he did not apparently take as kindly to a reduction of proteid food, and did not accomplish so great a lowering in the rate of proteid metabolism.

Following are the data of the balance experiment: