Even more striking were the results obtained in a study of the dietary habits of three healthy natives of Formosa, employed as day laborers at the military hospital. They weighed respectively 60.9, 55, and 54.8 kilograms. The main portion of their diet was rice, supplemented, however, by a little salt fish, salted melon, spinach, ginger, and greens. The daily amount of proteid ingested was 48.0 grams (37.4 grams of digestible proteid), with a total fuel value of 1948 calories. A composite sample of urine covering seven days showed an average daily output of metabolized nitrogen of 6.93 grams, corresponding to a breaking down of 43.3 grams of proteid.

Especially interesting also is a series of experiments with professional men, reported by Oshima, in which attention was paid to nitrogen balance. The following table shows the essential results:

It is to be observed that in all of the above experiments, excepting two, the subjects gained nitrogen even with the low proteid intake and the small fuel value of the day's food. Particularly noteworthy, in harmony with previous statemerits, are the results of the sixth and seventh experiments. In the sixth experiment, the subject was not able to maintain nitrogen equilibrium on a diet containing 36.8 grams of digestible proteid and having a fuel value of 1825 calories, but by raising the intake of carbohydrate food (seventh experiment) to 462 grams daily, thereby increasing the fuel value of the daily ration to 2200 calories (with a slight increase in the proteid incidental thereto), the body was able to change its previous loss of nitrogen into a gain; in other words, the added carbohydrate served as a protector of proteid.

The series of experiments as a whole, however, is to be considered in the light of additional data bearing on the dietary customs of a people who for generations have apparently lived and thrived on a daily ration noticeably low in its content of proteid, as well as low in its calorific value. As Oshima states, "It is probably fair to infer that the amount of proteid in the dietaries of the classes living largely on vegetable foods (and they constitute the larger part of the population) may not be very far from 60 grams per day," or 45grams of digestible proteid. It is reasonable to assume that the people live in this way from force of habit or of necessity, and we may agree with Baelz, a professor connected with the medical faculty of Tokyo University, "that their diet is sufficient from a physiological standpoint." Doubtless a mixed diet, with a larger proportion of animal food, did their means readily permit, would offer some advantages from the standpoint of palatability and variety, but it is questionable if any material gain in health or strength would result. "It is sometimes remarked," says Oshima, "that the peasants in the rural districts of Japan, living largely on vegetable food, are really healthier and stronger than people of the better classes, who live on a mixed diet, and the better physical condition of the former is commonly believed to be due to their diet." This, however, is a difficult matter to decide, since there are so many other factors that are liable to play a part, such as the general conditions of life which are so widely different in the two classes.

It is plainly evident that the daily diet of the great bulk of the Japanese people has been characterized by a very low proteid standard, as contrasted with the standards and usages of the majority of European and American people. The fact is brought forward merely as confirmatory evidence, on a large scale, of the perfect safety of lowering the consumption of proteid food to somewhere near the level of the physiological requirements of the body. Generations of low proteid feeding, with the temperance and simplicity in dietary matters thereby implied, have certainly not stood in the way of phenomenal development and advancement when the gateway was opened for the ingress of modern ideas from western civilization. Many changes are sure to follow in the footsteps of the nation's progress, and among these it is safe to prophesy that as public and private wealth, and resources in general, increase, the dietary of the people will gradually assume a more varied character with corresponding increase in volume. Whether such a change will prove of real benefit to the race, time alone can determine.

Having said so much concerning the Japanese, it is proper that a few additional statements should be made. The stalurn and general physique of the people could be advantageously improved. Is this a question of dietary, or is it connected with some condition of life on which the daily food has no bearing: or is it, perchance, a racial characteristic so deeply ingrained that conditions of environment are without noticeable influence? These questions cannot be definitely answered at present Finally, we may call attention to the dietary changes inaugurated in recent years in connection with the new organization of the imperial army and navy. With a view to increasing the efficiency of the men, following the customs of other countries, an act was passed increasing the amount of proteid food in the navy dietary. Oshima's report of the various steps taken to accomplish this end, with the results that followed, is interesting in several ways.

"A large part of the rice was to be replaced by bread, and meats were to be used liberally. The experience, during the first year that this ration was tried, indicated that bread and meat could not be advantageously substituted immediately for the rice, because most of the marines were unaccustomed to these food materials; consequently, a modification of the ration was introduced in 1885, whereby a rice-barley mixture was adopted in place of the bread. Barley was considered at that time as a better article of food than rice, on account of its higher proteid content, but later investigations showed that the digestibility of the nutrients of barley was small In 1886, an effort was again made to substitute bread for the rice-barley mixture. In 1890, the ration allowance was reduced by one-fifth and an amount of money equivalent to the cost of the reduction in diet was given to each marine with which to buy accessory food according to his own choice. In 1898, the reduction was made one-tenth, instead of one-fifth as in previous years. In 1900, the cash allowance was abolished and a new ration adopted." This ration contains about 150 grams of proteid (animal and vegetable food) and has a fuel value of over 3000 calories. In all of these changes, the proportion of rice was greatly reduced.