143

     It would, therefore, appear that up to 12 ozs. of makkai ata may be taken
with advantage in combination with 12 ozs. rice and the usual dal and vegetables.
But it is almost impossible to get 12 ozs. of makkai eaten for more than a few
days at a time: even in Bhagulpur we had difficulty in having the full ration taken.

     We may conclude, therefore, that 12 ozs. of makkai is about the maximum
amount the prisoners will consume voluntarily; and our results show that it is
not beyond. the amount from which the maximum absorption, in a diet of the
above type, is able to take place. The 12 ozs. of makkai ata sanctioned in the
jail code is about right if the quantity of rice be reduced to 12 ozs. per man daily.

     The effect of substituting makkai ata 12 ozs. for wheat ata 10 ozs. in Bhagulpur
jail is shown on Chart XII. The results obtained corroborate what we found
in the Buxar investigations, viz., it had the effect of placing the prisoners on a
lower plane of nitrogenous metabolism. The average decrease in the amount of
nitrogen undergoing metabolism from this substitution is not so great as in Buxar
jail—in Buxar jail it was 1.66 grms. nitrogen whereas in Bhagulpur jail it is
under I grm. However, the prisoners in Bhagulpur jail were getting 12 ozs. of
makkai, while the Buxar prisoners only got 10 ozs.

     This concludes our observations on the effects of varying the quantities of
wheat ata and makkai ata, Burma rice and Country rice in the two jails of Behar.

     The results obtained are very definite and clear. While certain variations
are met with, due to accidental or experimental errors, the main features of the
curves obtained under similar conditions are very closely identical.

     We claim to have proved from these investigations that the quantity of rice—
Burma or Country—in the Behari diet is too great; and that, whether given with
wheat ata or makkai ata, it can be reduced to 12 ozs. per man daily. The advan-
tages of this reduction are clearly brought out in the charts and do not require any
further discussion. Further, we have shown that 10 ozs. of wheat ata per man
daily, and from 10 to 12 ozs. of makkai ata are the optima amounts to be used in
combination with 12 ozs. of rice.

     There now remains the question of the amount of dal, when given along with
these quantities of rice and wheat or makkai ata, from which the best results are
to be obtained. We have seen from the investigations recorded on Table XIII
that with a diet composed of 12 ozs. Burma rice, 12 ozs. wheat ata, and 6 ozs. of
different dais very similar amounts of protein absorption took place whether
the dal was highly nitrogenous or only fairly so. This is evidence that the nitrogen
of the highly nitrogenous dais is not absorbed so well as that of the dals offering
less nitrogen in the diets, and that, therefore, the amount of nitrogen offered in
the form of dal for that type of diet could be decreased with advantage, i.e. , would