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     We have now traced the history of Bengal Jail dietaries as recorded in the
excellent papers cited, and indicated the different factors that led up to the pre-
sent investigation. We have given in brief outline an account of the scope of
the present enquiry with some discussion on the difficulties to be overcome, and
an indication of the way in which we have attempted to arrive at the nutritive
value of jail dietaries and their modifications. We have discussed what the real
value of a diet consists in, viz., the amount of nitrogen it presents that is capable
of absorption and assimilation, and the amount of energy it is able to furnish
(deducting that lost to the body in the urine and fæces, and the important loss
from excessive gastro-intestinal fermentation). We have given a short résumé of
the present investigations carried out on the different races of people examined
in the several jails of the province, with a description of ou methods of work.

     Nothing now remains but to give an account of the results obtained with the
conclusions at which we have arrived. In doing so we shall approach the sub-
ject as "independent enquirers seeking the truth unconcerned where the evidence
may lead us, and shall endeavour to put all aspects of the question that come
before us in an equally strong light."

     Before proceeding to do this it is our pleasing duty to tender our best thanks
for the kindness shown us, the interest taken in the work, and the able assistance
in its fulfilment, invariably given us by those officers of the Jail Department in
Bengal, with whom we have come in contact during the investigations.

     The Inspector-General of Jails, Lieutenant-Colonel W. J. Buchanan, I.M.S.,
has earned our best thanks for smoothing the path and giving us a free hand to
make use of the jails as we found necessary. To the Superintendent of the Presi-
dency Jail, Calcutta,—Major Mulvany, I.M.S.—we gave much trouble by
continually asking for prisoners, he never resented our doing so, but, on the
contrary, was always willing to give us every assistance in his power. Captain
Mackelvie, I.M.S., of the Puri Jail, has given us much help in our work in that
jail, and kindly undertook to supervise the six months' experiment on the whole
population of his jail. Captains Gillitt and Hamilton of the Behar Jails assisted
us very ably in the work on the Behari—sometimes much to their own incon-
venience. To Major Maddox, I.M.S., of Ranchi, we are specially indebted for
information concerning the aboriginal tribes investigated in Ranchi Jail.

     Lastly, we have to thank Mr. Piffard, Superintendent of Darjeeling Jail, for
making things easy for us among the representatives of the more truculent tribes
of the hills.

     To Professor B. Moore of the Bio-Chemical Department of Liverpool Univer-
sity we owe a debt of gratitude for much advice regarding some of the more
knotty points that turned up during the course of the investigations.