?39
other hand meagre both in carbon and nitrogen and is very deficient in fats, as seen in a
preceding table. An average of the ' average diet at sea ' and of the diet in harbour would
give the following results :-
Nitrogen
362·026 grains.
Salts
530·250 “
Carbon in Albuminates
1,224·182 “
" Fats
1,230·412 “
" Carbohydrates
3,263·528 “
Total, Carbon
5,718·122 “
The above results show a very good diet compatible with even hard labour.
Considerable difficulty exists in calculating the nutritive values of salt beef and salt
pork. As hyosin is largely soluble in a solution of chloride of sodium, it necessarily follows
that a large quantity of this nutrient substance passes into the brine. Probably the albumi-
nates in salt beef and the fat in salt pork are too highly estimated. In the analyses of peas
some indigestible cellulose is not included in the table. The desiccated or preserved pota-
toes are taken as equal to four times the amount of the fresh article. The sailor is better
provided with accessory foods than the soldier, and his diet is taken on the whole much
more varied and nutritious. In the Naval diet at sea the fat is not well distributed over the
diets, but occurs in excess in those into which salt pork enters as a part.
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your most obedient Servant,
(Signed) A. MILNE, M.B., Surgeon,
Acting Chemical Analyser."
I quite concur with Dr. Milne in thinking that the soldier's ration would be
improved by the addition of a small quantity of oil or butter with peas and beans,
and I would urge that it should be made at least equal to the naval ration whilst
at sea.
I am quite sure we do not make sufficient use of the pulses, such as peas
and beans. The concentrated pea soup supplied to the troops in Afghánistán
known as Kopfs Erbswurst has the advantage of not only being an exceedingly
nutritious and concentrated article of diet as described by Dr. Lyon in his eighth
Annual Report, but it is very quickly prepared and very cheap. A tin of this
served out to each man on guard at midnight with his coffee and biscuit would
prove a most valuable addition, and I can testify from personal experience that it
is very palatable and satisfying. I also think that it is most important that the
hours for meals should be altered to those suggested by Dr. Ridout, as at pre-
sent there can be no doubt that the soldier habitually goes too long without
food.
I must particularly notice as having a most important bearing on the parti-
cular enquiry I have been engaged in, that on visiting each station of the Bombay
Command I was particularly struck in finding among every corps, though to a
greater extent in some than in others, men who presented spongy or bleeding,
and, in some instances, ulcerated gums. Doubtless this unhealthy condition may
in some degree with justice be attributed to the neglect of personal cleanliness on
the part of the soldier, and it is much to be wished that a tooth-brush formed part
of his kit. But after allowing to the fullest extent for this, I am most strongly
of opinion that it is very largely due to a scorbutic taint throughout the Army.
At Mhow I found that out of 626 men of the Lancashire Fusiliers examined
280 or 45 per cent. of the men had swollen spongy, and in some cases bleeding
and ulcerated gums. It is right to say that all the Medical Officers at the Sta-
tion Hospital disagreed with my view that this condition was due to scurvy, as
they ascribed it to malarial cachexia ; but with all deference to their collective
opinion, which I greatly respect, I still retain the conviction that it was due to scor-
butus. I am confirmed in this opinion by finding that a man had been admitted
into hospital before my visit with identically the same conditions, and in that case
the disease was ascribed by the medical officer to scurvy ; and in former years it
was well known that Troops in Malwa and Rajputana suffered from scurvy. I had
been familiar with these appearances among the 98th at Karáchi, and had seen
them disappear under the continued use of lime-juice.