Report of the Pellagra Commission of the State of Illinois, November, 1911.
- Illinois. Pellagra Commission.
- Date:
- 1912
Licence: In copyright
Credit: Report of the Pellagra Commission of the State of Illinois, November, 1911. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.
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![nitrogen and 0.025 gram PoOj per kilo body weight was too poor in nitrogen and phosphorus and caused a loss of both from the body. A diet furnishing 37 calories, 0.2 gram nitrogen and 0.032 gram PnOj per kilo body weight was sufficient to keep a man in nitrogen and phosphorus equilibrium. The subjects of their experiments were Filipinos. These values are much smaller than those found to be necessary by American and European in- vestigators. The General Diet supplied 38.3 , calories, 1.10 grams protein and 0.037 gram P^Oj per kilo body weight, values which are practically equivalent to those that Aron and Hocson found necessary to maintain nitrogen and phos- phorus equilibrium. They are much lower, however, than the quantities of phosphorus called for as necessary by European and American Investigators /Magnus-Levy (11), Sherman, et al (16)], viz: 3 to 4 grams P5O5 per day. To return to a method of Interpretation used before; the following con- clusion seems reasonable. The quantity of phosphorus, 1.07 grams per man per day (equivalent to 2.45 grams phosphoric acid per man per day) is low compared to what Is usually considered necessary. It represents the average daily ingestion of a large group of subjects. Some of these were probably receiving less than the average. In that case, they were very likely receiving too little, and from this point of view, must have been in phosphorus starvation. Phosphorus starvation has been associated with a disease of nervou.3 origin (berl berl). The importance of this element cannot be over-estimated especially when dealing with the Insane. It is highly desirable that more work be done along this line to determine the requirements for this element. The Corn Diet supplied 3.82 grams PoO^ per man per day, or 0.061 gram phosphorus per kilo body weight. Since the quantities of jprotein and energy, 1.39 grams and 46.2 calories per kilo, body weight, are sufficient, this diet is adequate with respect to the phosphorus content. SOUKCES OF PHOSPHORtrS. Tables 8 and 11 give the distribution of the phosphorus among the various foods and classes of foods, proportionately and quantitatively. On the General Diet, 65.81 percent of the total phosphorus was derived from the total vegetable foods, 27.31 percent from the total animal foods, and 6.88 percent from the total mixed foods. On the Corn Diet, the total vegetable foods supplied 32.78 percent of the total phosphorus; the total animal foods, 22.60 percent; and the total mixed foods 44.62 percent. The greater pro- portion in the total mixed foods of the Corn Diet is due to the corn foods which alone supplied 40.57 percent of the total. The greater quantity, per man per day, furnished by the Corn Diet, compared to the General Diet, is derived from two foods entirely, the corn foods and milk. The corn foods alone supplied 0.76 gram per man per day and the milk 0.21 gram per man per day. Possibly considerable of the phosphorus in the corn foods comes from animal material (eggs and milk) used In the preparation of many of the foods included under this head. Milk is an excellent source of phosphorus. In the nutrition investigation of Grindley et al (13), the phosphorus of the average diet was derived as follows: from animal foods, 54.73 percent; from vegetable foods, 31.74 percent; from mixed foods, 13.52 percent. The chief source of phosphorus was milk, which supplied 32.76 percent of the total amount. Meats were the next Important source, supplying 16.03 percent. These facts are of interest and value in suggesting means for increasing the phosphorus in such a diet as the General Diet. SUMMARY. The lack of definite information regarding the food requirements and the metabolism of the class of subjects experimented upon has made it difficult to interpret the results obtained in these studies. In addition to](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b2398322x_0251.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
