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THE WIMBLEDON MEETING.
50 -viz., 512 grains per (lay, adding to it twenty-one grains, as the average daily excretion of uric acid. These quantities of urea and uric acid furnish 246’0 grains of nitrogen, a quantity contained in 2921 ’6 grains, or nearly six ounces and threequarters of the extract, representing nearly fourteen pounds of the fresh beef. It therefore follows that a person in average health would require to consume daily at least the quantity of the extract just stated to furnish his system with the requisite amount of nitrogen for nutrition, and which would cost some seven shillings per diem. In the printed directions given, it is stated that a small teaspoonful of the extract, which would contain about one drachm, and the nitrogen of which would amount to only five grains, makes half a pint of strong beef-tea. Now, if this quantity only were used, and in the absence of other nitrogenous food, the patient would be slowly but surely starved. The foregoing particulars bring us to the consideration of the still more important question of the nutritive value of Beeftea, of which the consumption is so enormous. In order to put this matter to the test of experiment, one pound of lean beef was carefully cut into pieces of about half I an inch in diameter, and macerated with an imperial pint of cold water, with stirring for half an hour; heat was now applied, the temperature being raised at first only to about 120° at which point it was kept for half an hour; finally, the mixture was slowly simmered for another hour; two hours in all being occupied in the preparation of the tea. The formula just given is one of the best for the preparation of beef-tea of good quality and strength. Now, when, in the preparation of this article, the heat is raised above 150° Fahr., the albumen dissolved out from the meat is of course precipitated, and cooks usually strain away the sediment, and bring to table only the clear liquid, the ’ highly nitrogenized principle referred to being thereby lost. One pint of the clea1’ beef-tea thus prepared furnished 223’12 grains of extractive matter, containing 22’10 grains of nitregen, equal to 142’58 grains of protein compounds ; while one pint of the beef-tea, with the albumen, furnished 369’12 grains of extractive matter, which contained 41’10 grains of nitrogen, equal to 265’16 grains of protein matter. Now, remembering that at least 246 grains of nitrogen are daily eliminated in a state of health by the urine alone, it is obvious that not less than eleven pints of the clear beef-tea, or six pints of the beef-tea with the albumen, would be required to supply the system with the requisite amount of nitrogen for each twenty-four hours. Supposing, however, that the beef-tea has been prepared in an indifferent manner, that the meat has been less comminuted, and the tea more quickly made, the necessary quantity will be even larger. Thus, one pound of beef less carefully treated furnished 19i ’62 grains of extractive matter, even with the albzcmen, against 369’12 grains obtained in the first case. This amount contained 17’62 grains of nitrogen; and therefore, of this tea, although containing the albumen, nearly fourteen pints, representing fourteen pounds of fresh beef, would be required. The foregoing particulars will be readily appreciated by an examination of the subjoined figures. One pound of lean fresh beef, weighing 7000 grains, treated in the manner best calculated to obtain all the albumen and soluble extractive matter, furnishedOf soluble extract, 223’12 grs., containing 22’10 grs. of nitrogen. 19-00 " "y " albumen... 140’00 " " nbrinous 1506 ’00 "" 177 ’17 m " " 177.17 ,, " sidue.. Compare the above large quantities of beef-tea with those
Fahr.,
,
i
-
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p506’00
’
actually given.—namely, a tea- or breakfast-cupful, holding some
six or ten ounces, once or twice a day, containing, even when the tea is of the best quality, in the one case, about 6’63 grains, and in the other, 11’05 grains of nitrogen, and the conclusion becomes inevitable that by far too much reliance is placed upon beef-tea as an article of diet, and that, other nitrogenous food being withheld, the patient might starve on it as well as on Liebig’s Extract of Beef. I observe that some writers have recently, in the discussion which has taken place relative to beef-tea, been attributing a high nutritive value to fYi7ae, placing it even before beefI tea, and highly extolling its virtues in the treatment of fevers and other exhaustive diseases. Assuming that the nitrogen is the constituent of any food from which real strength and ’ nourishment are derived, I find that one bottle of claret contained 1’207 grains ofnitrogen, representing 7-78 grains of i, albuminous tissue; and a bottle of sherry, 2’19 grains of I nitrogen, equal to 14’13 grains of tissue. That is to say, it i
I
would be necessary that about 203 bottles of the former wine, and 113 bottles of the latter should be consumed daily to furnieh the system with the average amount of nitrogen excreted in the urine in each twenty-four hours-namely, 246 grains. These two analyses are amply sufficient to show, what indeed scarcely required such a demonstration, that wine, while it possesses high sustaining and stimulating power, must be placed very low in the list of nutritive articles of diet. I remain, Sir, your obedient servant, ARTHUR H. ARTHUR H. HASSALL, M.D. Lond., Senior Physician to the Royal Free Hospital. Wimpole-street, June 24th, 1865. P.S.-Since writing the foregoing letter I have met with samples, denominated "Liebig’s Extract of Meat," largely adulterated with salt. This addition, since about fourteen shillings per pound are charged for the article, and since it detracts from its value in several respects, cannot be too strongly condemned.
THE WIMBLEDON MEETING. To the Editor of THE LANCET. shall feel much obliged if you will allow me the adSiR,-I of wide circulation to announce that a general vantage your of the Volunteer Surgeons will take place on Monday meeting next, July 10th, at four o’clock precisely, at the Grosvenor Hotel, Pimlico. The object of the meeting is to consider what steps are necessary to be taken by the Volunteer Surgeons in connexion with the arrangements recently made by the Council of the National Rifle Association for the medical care of the Volunteers who will be encamped at Wimbledon, and by which an honourable duty, which has always hitherto devolved upon the Volunteer Medical Staff, has been placed in the hands of the Army Medical Department. Mr. Fergusson, F.R..S., Hon. Surgeon to the St. George’s and Scottish Rifle Volunteers, has kindly consented to take the chair. I am, Sir, your obedient servant, THOMAS BUZZARD, M.D M.D. Lond., Surgeon Queen’s (Westminster) Rifle Volunteers, 2nd Battalion; Hon. See. to the Committee of Volunteer Medical Officers.
POOR-LAW MEDICAL REFORM. To the Editm’ of THE LANCET. Sm,-In the course of a few days the Poor-law medical officers of England and V6’ales will be called upon to exercise their elective franchise; allow me space, therefore, to beg of them that they will not promise their votes until they have communicated either personally or by letter with the candidates for their suffrages, and at least obtain a general promise that when questions of Poor-law medical relief come before the House of Commons they will give the subject their serious attention. I think the communication should be made privately, and not on the hustings, for fear of exciting opposition from the guardians, who are more numerous than the medical officers, and consequently have more influence. Let them inform the candidates that the subject is one of vast importance, that the treatment of the sick poor in the workhouses, as revealed by the late inquests, by the Sanitary Commission of THE LANCET (July 1st, 1865), and by other evidence, is most lamentable. Tell them there are a million and a quarter of the labouring poor annually under the medical treatment of the Poor-law medical officers, who are about three thousand one hundred in number, and that the payment made to those onicers does not average more than three shillings per patient, a sum so small that it is quite inadequate to the duties required of them. Tell them that the resolution of the Select Committee, so far as medical relief is concerned, is not borne out by the evidence, as will be readily perceived by an examination of it, and that the single, incorrect, and unsupported evidence of Mr. Cane, an Inspector of the Poor-law Board, has been allowed to outweigh all other evidence on the subject, even the statement of the Right Hon. T. Sotheron Estcourt to the deputation of about 100 medical men and several members of Parliament who waited upon him in 1859. when he was President of the Poor-law Board.
Fahr.,
,
i
-
re- )
p506’00
’
actually given.—namely, a tea- or breakfast-cupful, holding some
six or ten ounces, once or twice a day, containing, even when the tea is of the best quality, in the one case, about 6’63 grains, and in the other, 11’05 grains of nitrogen, and the conclusion becomes inevitable that by far too much reliance is placed upon beef-tea as an article of diet, and that, other nitrogenous food being withheld, the patient might starve on it as well as on Liebig’s Extract of Beef. I observe that some writers have recently, in the discussion which has taken place relative to beef-tea, been attributing a high nutritive value to fYi7ae, placing it even before beefI tea, and highly extolling its virtues in the treatment of fevers and other exhaustive diseases. Assuming that the nitrogen is the constituent of any food from which real strength and ’ nourishment are derived, I find that one bottle of claret contained 1’207 grains ofnitrogen, representing 7-78 grains of i, albuminous tissue; and a bottle of sherry, 2’19 grains of I nitrogen, equal to 14’13 grains of tissue. That is to say, it i
I
would be necessary that about 203 bottles of the former wine, and 113 bottles of the latter should be consumed daily to furnieh the system with the average amount of nitrogen excreted in the urine in each twenty-four hours-namely, 246 grains. These two analyses are amply sufficient to show, what indeed scarcely required such a demonstration, that wine, while it possesses high sustaining and stimulating power, must be placed very low in the list of nutritive articles of diet. I remain, Sir, your obedient servant, ARTHUR H. ARTHUR H. HASSALL, M.D. Lond., Senior Physician to the Royal Free Hospital. Wimpole-street, June 24th, 1865. P.S.-Since writing the foregoing letter I have met with samples, denominated "Liebig’s Extract of Meat," largely adulterated with salt. This addition, since about fourteen shillings per pound are charged for the article, and since it detracts from its value in several respects, cannot be too strongly condemned.
THE WIMBLEDON MEETING. To the Editor of THE LANCET. shall feel much obliged if you will allow me the adSiR,-I of wide circulation to announce that a general vantage your of the Volunteer Surgeons will take place on Monday meeting next, July 10th, at four o’clock precisely, at the Grosvenor Hotel, Pimlico. The object of the meeting is to consider what steps are necessary to be taken by the Volunteer Surgeons in connexion with the arrangements recently made by the Council of the National Rifle Association for the medical care of the Volunteers who will be encamped at Wimbledon, and by which an honourable duty, which has always hitherto devolved upon the Volunteer Medical Staff, has been placed in the hands of the Army Medical Department. Mr. Fergusson, F.R..S., Hon. Surgeon to the St. George’s and Scottish Rifle Volunteers, has kindly consented to take the chair. I am, Sir, your obedient servant, THOMAS BUZZARD, M.D M.D. Lond., Surgeon Queen’s (Westminster) Rifle Volunteers, 2nd Battalion; Hon. See. to the Committee of Volunteer Medical Officers.
POOR-LAW MEDICAL REFORM. To the Editm’ of THE LANCET. Sm,-In the course of a few days the Poor-law medical officers of England and V6’ales will be called upon to exercise their elective franchise; allow me space, therefore, to beg of them that they will not promise their votes until they have communicated either personally or by letter with the candidates for their suffrages, and at least obtain a general promise that when questions of Poor-law medical relief come before the House of Commons they will give the subject their serious attention. I think the communication should be made privately, and not on the hustings, for fear of exciting opposition from the guardians, who are more numerous than the medical officers, and consequently have more influence. Let them inform the candidates that the subject is one of vast importance, that the treatment of the sick poor in the workhouses, as revealed by the late inquests, by the Sanitary Commission of THE LANCET (July 1st, 1865), and by other evidence, is most lamentable. Tell them there are a million and a quarter of the labouring poor annually under the medical treatment of the Poor-law medical officers, who are about three thousand one hundred in number, and that the payment made to those onicers does not average more than three shillings per patient, a sum so small that it is quite inadequate to the duties required of them. Tell them that the resolution of the Select Committee, so far as medical relief is concerned, is not borne out by the evidence, as will be readily perceived by an examination of it, and that the single, incorrect, and unsupported evidence of Mr. Cane, an Inspector of the Poor-law Board, has been allowed to outweigh all other evidence on the subject, even the statement of the Right Hon. T. Sotheron Estcourt to the deputation of about 100 medical men and several members of Parliament who waited upon him in 1859. when he was President of the Poor-law Board.