+------------+------------------+--------+--------+-----------+
| | | Men. | Women. | Juveniles.|
+------------+------------------+--------+--------+-----------+
| | | | | |
| Breakfast. | Daily:-- | | | |
| | Bread | 8 oz. | 6 oz. | 6 oz. |
| | Gruel | 1 pt. | 1 pt. | 1 pt. |
| | Milk | .. | .. | 1/2 pt. |
| | | | | |
| Dinner. | Sunday:-- +--------+--------+-----------+
| | Bread | 6 oz. | 6 oz. |
| | Potatoes | 8 " | 8 " |
| | Cooked meat, | | |
| | preserved | 4 " | 3 " |
| | by heat | | |
| | Monday:-- | | |
| | Bread | 6 oz. | 6 oz. |
| | Potatoes | 8 " | 8 " |
| | Beans | 10 " | 8 " |
| | Fat bacon | 2 " | 1 " |
| | | | |
| | Tuesday:-- | | |
| | Bread | 6 oz | 6 oz. |
| | Potatoes | 8 " | 8 " |
| | Soup | 1 pt. | 1 pt. |
| | | | |
| | Wednesday:-- | | |
| | Bread | 6 oz. | 6 oz. |
| | Potatoes | 8 " | 8 " |
| | Suet pudding | 10 " | 8 " |
| | | | |
| | Thursday:-- | | |
| | Bread | 6 oz. | 6 oz. |
| | Potatoes | 8 " | 8 " |
| | Cooked beef, | | |
| | without bone| 4 " | 3 " |
| | | | |
| | Friday:-- | | |
| | Bread | 6 oz. | 6 oz. |
| | Potatoes | 8 " | 8 " |
| | Soup | 1 pt. | 1 pt. |
| | | | |
| | Saturday:-- | | |
| | Bread | 6 oz. | 6 oz. |
| | Potatoes | 8 " | 8 " |
| | Suet pudding | 10 " | 8 " |
| | | | |
| Supper. | Daily:-- | +---------+----------+
| | Bread | 8 oz. | 6 oz. | 6 oz. |
| | Porridge | 1 pt. | | |
| | Gruel | | 1 pt. | |
| | Cocoa | | | 1 pt. |
+------------+------------------+--------+---------+----------+
TABLE II.
+------------------+-----+------+------+------+------+------+------+
| |Sun. | Mon. | Tue. | Wed. | Thu. | Fri. | Sat. |
+------------------+-----+------+------+------+------+------+------+
| Breakfast. | | | | | | | |
| Bread. oz.| 8 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Porridge. pt.| * |1-1/2 |1-1/2 |1-1/2 |1-1/2 |1-1/2 |1-1/2 |
+------------------+-----+------+------+------+------+------+------+
| Dinner. | | | | | | | |
| Bread. oz.| 4 | 6 | .. | 4 | 4 | 8 | 6 |
| Beef. oz.|4-1/2| .. | .. | .. | 4-1/2| .. | .. |
| Vegetables. oz.| 12 | .. | .. | 12 | 12 | .. | .. |
| Barley Soup. pt.| .. | 1-1/2| .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Pork. oz.| .. | .. | 4-1/2| .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Beans. oz.| .. | .. | 12 | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Fish. oz.| .. | .. | .. | 10 | .. | .. | .. |
| Cheese. oz.| .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 3 | .. |
| Broth. pt.| .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. |
| Irish Stew. pt.| .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 |
+------------------+-----+------+------+------+------+------+------+
| Supper. | | | | | | | |
| Bread. oz.| 8 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 6 | 6 |
| Butter. oz.| 1/2 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Tea. pt.| 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Gruel. pt.| .. | 1-1/2| 1-1/2| 1-1/2| .. | 1-1/2| 1-1/2|
| Broth. pt.| .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | .. |
| Cheese. oz.| .. | .. | .. | .. | 2 | .. | .. |
+------------------+-----+------+------+------+------+------+------+
* On Sundays 1 pint of tea and 2-1/2 oz. of butter are given instead
of porridge.
The dietary of convict prisons, in which prisoners are all under long
sentence, is divided into a diet for convicts employed at hard labour
and a diet for convicts employed at sedentary, indoor and light
labour. It will be found set forth in the Blue-book mentioned above.
The sparest of all prison diets is called "punishment diet," and is
administered for offences against the internal discipline of the
prison. It is limited to a period of three days. It consists of 1 lb.
of bread and as much water as the prisoner chooses to drink.
In French prisons the dietary is nearly two pounds weight of bread,
with two meals of thin soup (breakfast and dinner) made from potatoes,
beans or other vegetables, and on two days a week made from meat. In
France the canteen system is in vogue, additional food, such as
sausages, cheese, fruit, &c., may be obtained by the prisoner,
according to the wages he receives for his labours. The dietary of
Austrian prisons is 1-1/2 lb. of bread daily, a dinner of soup on four
days of the week, and of meat on the other three days, with a supper
of soup or vegetable stew. Additional food can be purchased by the
prisoner out of his earnings.
These dietaries may be taken as more or less typical of the ordinary
prison fare in most civilized countries, though in some countries it
may err on the side of severity, as in Sweden, prisoners being given
only two meals a day, one at mid-day and one at seven p.m., porridge
or gruel being the principal element in both meals. On the other hand,
the prison dietaries of many of the United States prisons go to the
other extreme, fresh fish, green vegetables, even coffee and fruit,
figuring in the dietary.
Another class of dietary is that given to paupers. In England, until
1900, almost every individual workhouse had its own special dietary,
with the consequence that many erred on the side of scantiness and
unsuitability, while others were too lavish. By an order of the Local
Government Board of that year, acting on a report of a committee, all
inmates of workhouses, with the exception of the sick, children under
three years of age, and certain other special cases, are dieted in
accordance with certain dietary tables as framed and settled by the
board. The order contained a great number of different rations, it
being left to the discretion of the guardians as to the final
settlement of the tables. For adult inmates the dietary tables are for
each sex respectively, two in number, one termed "plain diet" and the
other "infirm diet." All male inmates certified as healthy able-bodied
persons receive plain diet only. All inmates, however, in workhouses
are kept employed according to their capacity and ability, and this is
taken into consideration in giving allowances of food. For instance,
for work with sustained exertion, such as stone-breaking, digging,
&c., more food is given than for work without sustained exertion, such
as wood-chopping, weeding or sewing. Table II. shows an example of a
workhouse dietary.
In the casual wards of workhouses the dietary is plainer, consisting
of 8 oz. of bread, or 6 oz. of bread and one pint of gruel or broth
for breakfast; the same for supper; for dinner 8 oz. of bread and 1-1/2
oz. of cheese or 6 oz. of bread and one pint of soup. The American
poor law system is based broadly on that of England, and the methods
of relief are much the same. Each state, however, makes its own
regulations, and there is considerable diversity in workhouse
dietaries in consequence. The German system of poor relief is more
methodical than those of England and America. The really deserving are
treated with more commiseration, and a larger amount of outdoor
relief is given than in England. There is no casual ward, tramps and
beggars being liable to penal treatment, but there are "relief
stations," somewhat corresponding to casual wards, where destitute
persons tramping from one place to another can obtain food and lodging
in return for work done.
In the British navy certain staple articles of diet are supplied to
the men to the value approximately of 6d. per diem--the standard
government ration--and, in addition, a messing allowance of 4d. per
diem, which may either be expended on luxuries in the canteen, or in
taking up government provisions on board ship, in addition to the
standard ration. The standard ration as recommended in 1907 by a
committee appointed to inquire into the question of victualling in the
navy is as follows:--
_Service Afloat._
1 lb. bread (or 3/4 lb. bread and 1/4 lb. trade flour).
1/2 lb. fresh meat.
1 lb. fresh vegetables.
1/8 pint spirit.
4 oz. sugar.
1/2 oz. tea (or 1 oz. coffee for every 1/4 oz. tea).
1/2 oz. ordinary or soluble chocolate (or 1 oz. coffee).
3/4 oz. condensed milk.
1 oz. jam or marmalade.
4 oz. preserved meat on _one_ day of the week in harbour, or on
_two_ days at sea.
Mustard, pepper, vinegar, and salt as required.
Substitute for soft bread when the latter is not available--
1/2 lb. biscuit (new type) or 1 lb. flour.