42. If no prices are changed except at the beginning of a month, and if the established prices are displayed on the store bulletin board so that no overcharges can be made, this system will be a simple and absolute check on the storekeeper.

43. The man selected for this responsible duty should, first of all, be entirely trustworthy. He must be quick and accurate at figures and write legibly. It is his duty to receive such stock as may be delivered for the store, conveniently arrange it in the storeroom, and keep the latter clean and see that it is ready for inspection at the appointed times. He is to open the store for the sale of merchandise to the men at such times as may be appointed by the commissary, with the authority of the captain.

He should keep a small memorandum book in which to enter the amounts turned in daily to the commissary, and when that officer receives the money, he should initial the amount in the book.

PART III.-THE PREPARATION OF FOOD.

The Ration.-44. The dietary of the enlisted men of the navy must necessarily be based upon the ration provided by law. In general messes, where the circumstances are favorable, provisions which are not a part of the ration may at times be purchased, but articles of which there is a supply already on board in the pay department should not be bought unless the Government stores shall have deteriorated, in which case they should be surveyed and a new stock obtained at the first opportunity.

45. Unless there should be some good reason for not doing so, the official issuing table should be strictly adhered to, it having been arranged to give the necessary variety.

The Galley.-46. The ship's galley (or that part of it used by the general mess), together with its appurtenances, is under the charge of the commissary. That officer should see that the galley and its utensils are properly cared for and are ready for inspection at the appointed times. He should himself frequently inspect this part of his department and advise the equipment officer of any repairs or alterations needed, and should, when occasion demands it, furnish that officer with a list of galley utensils requiring a survey.

Cooking. 47. On board ship, where the facilities are necessarily restricted and the food lacking in variety compared to that obtainable on shore, it is of the highest importance that the very best results possible under the circumstances should be obtained. With a liberal allowance of cooks and bakers, and a judicious selection of the men for these rates, the navy ration should be so prepared as to give the enlisted men three nourishing and palatable meals each day, and it should be the duty of the commissary department to see that this is done.

Frequent inspections of the food by the commissary and the commissary steward, and efficiency on the part of the cooks, alone can insure this.

39

DIETARIES IN PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS.

THE diet in public and in private or semiprivate institutions, which include armies, navies, hospitals, asylums, prisons, schools, colleges, and, in fact, any place where numbers of persons are fed under the direction of a steward, is a subject that requires close attention. During the past few years many dietary studies have been made, the greatest advantage following where the results of such studies have been applied. In the line of investigation much still remains to be done, however, for the public has not yet learned the importance of applying scientific methods to the supply and culinary departments of its institutions.

In applying modern methods to institutions a number of principles must be considered. These may best be understood from a careful review of Dunlop's Prison Dietaries, as given below, from which it will be seen that the amount of food necessary to nourish the body is taken as the starting-point. This amount is to be modified according to the condition of the individuals to be fed. Age, sex, occupation, environment, physical condition, and the like must all be taken into account. The evaporation and waste in food kept and used must be estimated and allowed for. The cost of the food is an important item. It must be borne in mind that it is often possible to supply a very acceptable meal at a moderate cost where more expensive articles of diet, while they might seem more desirable, would not answer the purpose so well. The food must be suited to the digestive powers of the consumers, and must be served in as attractive and digestible a form as possible. It must be remembered that while the number of calories required may estimated, the food representing this amount must be supplied in such form that it can be utilized by the individual receiving it. Atwater's standards for the various classes, as given below under Prison Diet, are in general use in this country. A varying percentage is allowed for shrinkage and waste. This is usually placed at about 10 per cent. of the total energy. Mrs. Richards estimates 10 per cent. on the proteins and carbohydrates, and makes no allowance on the fats (in the standards

given below). Very complete dietary studies have been made by Atwater in the hospitals for the insane in New York State. These studies are published in the reports of the New York State Commission in Lunacy for 1897-98, 1898-99, and 18991900. The pecuniary advantage alone of this study is apparent from the fact that there was a reduction of $2.19 per capita nothwithstanding that the cost of food-products was higher than usual. The patients are better fed, and the diet is such as is best suited to their condition and surroundings.

Atwater has suggested as a new profession that of dietary expert. This is a field for which women are perhaps particularly well adapted. The dietary expert is neither a cook nor an ordinary steward, but should be an individual who has had sufficient training along special lines to enable him to purchase food, formulate suitable and accurate diet-lists, supervise the keeping, cooking, and serving of food, so as to obtain the best results, reducing the amount of waste to a minimum, and securing as great a degree of perfection in the preparation of the food as it is possible to obtain.

PRISON DIETARIES.

The subject of Prison Diet has received considerable attention, and the literature on the subject, although very large, is more or less inaccessible, being scattered, for the most part, throughout the reports of prisons and reformatories.

Numerous views have been expressed regarding what constitutes a proper diet for a prisoner. In England the standards recommended by the committee appointed by the Commissioners of Prisons in 1878 were followed for many years. The plan that was pursued was to divide the prisoners into four classes: CLASS I. Those confined for periods of seven days and less. CLASS II. Those confined for periods of more than seven days and not more than one month.

CLASS III. Those confined for periods of more than one month and not more than four months.

CLASS IV. Those confined for periods of more than four

months.

This division was made in order to prevent those serving short sentences from receiving a full dietary. Since such prisoners are for the most part drunken and disorderly persons, it was held that they might seek to be committed to prison for the sake of enjoying a short sentence with an abundant

supply of food. Under the Prison Commission's plan all the prisoners began with the first dietary after seven days, and if they were still in prison, they were put on the second, and so on. This plan is not a good one, for it would seem better to place all long-term prisoners at once on a sufficient and appropriate diet.

Prison dietaries are now formulated according to the standards fixed for a healthy free man doing the same kind of labor. The following table, taken from Atwater,' gives these standards: Proposed Dietary Standards for Adults. (Quantities per man per day unless otherwise stated.)

(a) Assuming 92 per cent. digestible, the average in ordinary mixed diet. (*) These figures are about 3 per cent. smaller than have been given previously, the difference being due to the adoption of revised factors for calculations.

(*) Corresponding values for a woman are 0.8 as much.

(d) Figures represent physiologic demand.

() Figures represent practically physiologic demand, there being but an extremely small allowance for waste.

(1) Figures represent ration allowance, with margin for waste of about 10 per cent.

One of the most valuable studies of prison dietaries is that made by Dr. J. C. Dunlop for the Scottish Prison Commission, 1 Year-book of the Department of Agriculture, 1901.

and published in 1899 as a "blue book." His standards are based on careful investigation, and upon actual experiment have been found to be satisfactory. They have been adopted in Scotland. His changes in the dietary previously furnished are based on the amount of labor, sex, age, and similar conditions. Dunlop's Dietary Standards for Prisoners.

NOTE.-Standards for criminal lunatics and sick prisoners, being unneces sary, are not included.

Dunlop's dietaries, since they represent complete classified lists made on a scientific basis and proved by experience, are here given in full. No hospital dietary is given, that being left entirely to the discretion of the medical officer.

DUNLOP'S PRISON DIETARIES, IN USE IN SCOTTISH PRISONS.

RATE I.

All ordinary prisoners under sentence of imprisonment for not longer than three days.

Breakfast-Daily:

Gruel.

Bread

1 pint.

4 ounces.

Tuesday: Broth.

Bread.