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abundant. On the whole the waste was larger than seems necessary, which would partially account for the fact that the cost of the diet was higher than would appear needful on theoretical grounds and higher than that of a similar diet in other institutions. With the knowledge of theoretical requirements and existing conditions it should be possible to provide an entirely satisfactory diet without unnecessary waste, and thus materially reduce the cost. What is necessary is first to learn the facts and then devise means for improvement. The studies. made during the past year have given a tolerably clear idea of the existing conditions, and it is regarded as especially fortunate that during the present year it will be possible to make the attempt to improve them by applying the knowledge gained as the investigations at the Government Hospital are being continued with the cordial cooperation of Dr. W. A. White, the present head of the institution.

Of course the reduction of the cost is not the only object, nor even the chief object of such inquiry. Humanitarian considerations are of far higher consequence. Some of the inmates may be cured and everything possible should be done by diet or otherwise to facilitate their cure. Of the incurables a large proportion have a keen appreciation of the comforts and discomforts of their condition, and their sources of enjoyment are necessarily so restricted that with a large percentage the pleasures of eating are probably paramount. To alle viate their discomforts and to provide as much as possible of the things which contribute to their happiness is plainly a duty. But these ends may be served by fitting the food to the needs of the body and rendering the diet attractive and palatable. What is meant to be especially pointed out here is that, if this investigation is properly continued, it will be possible to learn much concerning the methods by which the food may be better adapted to the actual needs of the patients of the different classes, and to devise improvements in the planning of menus, and in the preparing and serving of the food which will fit it better to the varying tastes of the hospital population, and at the same time prevent unnecessary waste. The advantage will be threefold; it will help to make hospital life less wearisome to the patients, it will be hygienically beneficial, and it will tend to a better economizing of the food supply and thus reduce the cost. The effort involves expense, but the results will repay the cost many fold.

To fit the food to the physiological demand requires two thingsthat the food materials be such as will agree with the users, and that they supply the right proportions of nutrients and energy. What food best agrees with the user is found by actual experience. Generally speaking, the ordinary foods agree with ordinary people; exceptional cases have to be provided for as experience and good sense dictate. To find what proportions of nutrients are best adapted

to a given class of people is a matter of experiment. The common usage in institutions and in private life is for people to eat what they will of the food that is set before them. The proportions are frequently very far from those best suited to health, and often the pecuniary economy is even worse. What is wanted for public institutions is an extended series of carefully planned feeding experiments. These could be made at comparatively small cost; they need not be at all disagreeable or otherwise objectionable to the subjects, and the results would be of the greatest value. Much attention is now being given to the cooking and serving of food in public institutions, and with corresponding improvement. Combining this with physiological inquiry will bring the best results.

A SUMMARY OF RECENT AMERICAN WORK ON FEEDING

STUFFS.

By C. F. LANGWORTHY, Ph. D.,

Office of Experiment Stations, U. S. Department of Agriculture.

The general subject of feeding stuffs, including composition, digestibility, feeding value, sophistication, manufacture, value for specific purposes, and related topics, has always received much attention at the hands of American investigators, especially those connected with the agricultural experiment stations. In recent years the amount of such work by station investigators has been materially increased by the fact that a number of States have laws regulating the manufacture and sale of feeding stuffs, and in the majority of cases the analytical work and other matters, necessitated by these laws, are intrusted to station officials.

In preparing the following summary of American work on feeding stuffs, published during the last three and a half years, the bulk of the data has been obtained from matter included or referred to in the Experiment Station Record, since in this journal all the experiment station literature is regularly noted and an attempt is made to include all other American work as well. In the case of many experiment station publications the date of distribution is difficult to determine and does not agree with the printed date of issue. It has been assumed, therefore, that any matter noted in the Experiment Station Record, Volumes XII to XIV, inclusive, and numbers 1 to 6 of Volume XV, that is, from September, 1900, to February, 1904, comes within the period which it is desired to cover. No account has been taken of the considerable number of short articles on the composition and value of feeding stuffs contributed to agricultural papers and other journals by experiment station authors. The amount of such material is large and, taken together, it represents a contribution to the subject which is of considerable importance from an educational and practical standpoint. Furthermore, mention has not been made of the considerable number of general discussions of feeding stuffs prepared by station officials and published in the station bulletins and reports, or those prepared in the Department of Agriculture and published as farmers' bulletins.

S. Doc. 148, 58—2—33

513

ANALYSES OF FEEDING STUFFS.

During the last few years the number of feeding stuff's analyzed in the United States has been very large. According to a careful estimate the total number of analyses published since July 31, 1900, is 11,749. Of these, 10,131 were made in connection with the inspection work carried on in a number of the States. The bulk of the analyses were reported by the State experiment stations. A considerable number, however, were published by the Bureau of Chemistry of the United States Department of Agriculture and the department of agriculture in one or two States, while a few have been reported from other

sources.

The above statements do not take into account the comparatively large number of analyses of sugar beets and sorghum made in connection with sugar and sirup manufacture, nor those made for commercial reasons of potatoes, sweet potatoes, and skim milk; neither has account been taken of the analyses of some materials more often used as human foods though occasionally fed to farm animals, nor of the large number of ash analyses reported.

The following list will give an idea of the way the analytical work is distributed, though the classification followed is necessarily more or less arbitrary:

Analyses reported in the United States from September, 1900, to February, 1904.

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As will be seen by the above list the number of analyses of wheat milling products, gluten products, and cotton seed and cotton-seed products is large. This is natural, since these goods are commercial by-products from important industries. The number of analyses of mixed feeds, commercial and proprietary feeds, cereal breakfast-food by-products, and similar feeds is also large. This is undoubtedly due

in a considerable measure to the great development of the cereal breakfast-food industry, as very many of these materials are byproducts from the breakfast-food factories, and consist of shrunken or damaged grain, residues of the manufactured products and similar materials, often mixed with some standard concentrated feed, such as gluten meal.

a

A few analyses have been reported of materials seldom used as feeding stuffs, at least in the United States, including saltbushes, almond hulls, olive pomace, Russian thistles, corn silk, leaves of several varieties of oak and of poison oak, etc. No complete compilation of analyses of American feeding stuffs has been made in recent years, although a fairly complete summary of earlier analyses was issued some years ago. Several of the State experiment stations, following a common custom, have published more or less extended compilations within the last three years. Of these the bulletin by J. T. Willard published by the Kansas Station, entitled "The Exact Calculations of Balanced Rations," should be mentioned, since the feeding value of the different materials is summarized in a somewhat unusual way. According to the author, "the bulletin maintains and the method of calculation is based upon the fact that, reduced to a final analysis, the balancing of a ration consists in balancing the feeds used in it two by two. In this pairing any of the feeds may be used more than once, and the several quantities of a feed so used are finally added together to obtain the total sum. Recognition of the compound nature of this sum is essential to an understanding of the theory of the balancing of rations." The method of calculating balanced rations, on the basis of the protein, fat, and carbohydrate content is described, and a method suggested, regarded as ample for practical requirements, which takes into account only protein and nitrogenous constituents. In addition, a table is given which shows the relative amounts of a number of feeds, arranged in pairs, which may be used to approximate the nutritive ratios called for by the commonly accepted feeding standards. Figures are given for 14 different ratios. In the author's opinion "the mixtures given may in many cases constitute a ration; in others a ration may be compounded by using, in any proportion desired, any of the various mixtures having the same nutritive ratio."

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The New Jersey Stations has published considerable data regarding the variations in price of commercial feeding stuffs during recent years.

@ Compilation of Analyses of American Feeding Stuffs, E. H. Jenkins and A. L. Winton, U. S. Dept. Agr., Office of Experiment Stations Bul. 11, 1892.

b Kansas Sta. Bul. 115.

New Jersey Stas. Rpt. 1900, p. 180.

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