British Army Hospitals

The following statement is quoted from a report made by Col. Alfred A. Woodhull, who was sent abroad by the U. S. Army Department to investigate certain medical features of the British army:

" The British army uses seven [diets], known as tea, milk, beef tea, chicken, convalescent, roast, and varied. Each is formulated with exactness, and parts of two diets may not be ordered together. The tea diet is: Bread, twelve ounces; tea, half an ounce; sugar, two and a half ounces; milk, six ounces. The varied diet is: Beef or mutton, twelve ounces without, or fifteen ounces with, bone; bread, eighteen ounces; tea, half an ounce; sugar, one and a half ounce; milk, six ounces; butter, one ounce; potatoes, sixteen ounces; vegetables, four ounces, with salt, pepper, and mustard, and optionally wine, spirits, malt liquors, and diet drinks may be ordered. These diets represent the extremities of the scale through which the others run. The ordinary drinks allowed for patients are: Barley water, rice water, gruel, and lemonade, each prepared by formula".

Prussian Army Hospitals

According to Roth and Lex, in four grades of diet in Prussian military hospitals the proportionate allowance of food classes is as follows:

French Army Hospitals

Kirchner gives the following analysis of the nutrient ingredients of the seven different classes into which diet in the French military hospitals is divided. "Absolute diet" (diète absolue) is practical starvation, at most, only a little toast water being given, and is of service for such cases as may require exclusive rectal feeding.