DIETETICS AND THE WAR.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 1480, 2 December 1915, Page 2

DIETETICS AND THE WAR.

Some conclusions put forward in a lecture on the subject of dietetics ;*nd the war, which was delivered in Melbourne last week by Professor W. A. Osborne, is of interest to New Zealanders in view of the large number of our troops who are now on active service. The lecture dealt with certain new aspects of dietetics created by the; discovery that the presence of certain chemical substances, known as vitamines, in minute quantities in food had a very remarkable bearing upon the health and growth of human beings. After describing the research work that had been done so far in connection with the vitamines, Professor Osborne pointed out that the discovery was one ot great importance in connection with the feeding of an army. Poods dried

for transport purposes had probably lost much of their vitamines, or health matter. Thus troops fed continually on ship’s food were bound to suffer, aud medical evidence, he said, went to show that many of the men at Gallipoli were suffering from digestive disorders. The only remedy, in his opinion, was to work the men in shifts, and to take them to Eemnos, where they could get fresh food. The experience of all armies was that the men must be given fresh bread and vegetables, and while the biscuit was all right for an “iron ration” it ought not to be a staple diet. Bakery aud slaughterhouses should be as close as possible to the firing line. An encouraging view of the dietetic difficulties awaiting the German nation in the near future was taken by the lecturer, who stated that he was certain that the Germans had overlooked the importance of fats in human diet, and would discover their mistake during the forthcoming winter.