The term "dietary standard," as it has been applied in the past, means the quantity of the several nutrients that should be taken by the human body under its varying conditions. During the past twenty-five years, many investigations have been made in this country, Europe, and Japan, regarding the amount of foods consumed by various groups of people. All the facts gathered, which include more or less accurate records of the foods eaten by many thousands of individuals under all circumstances and conditions of life, are invaluable scientific data, but the interpretation that has been placed upon these interesting observations is one of the most conspicuous blunders made by the scientific world. Whether this criticism should fall wholly upon the men of science, who made these investigations, or upon the people who misinterpreted their meaning, is perhaps an open question; but the fact remains that from the general teachings in physiologies, and from popular bulletins published by the National Government, very incorrect ideas have been widely spread respecting the amount of food required to maintain life and health. [Sidenote: Data of foods consumed daily by various people] In order to give the reader some idea of the results obtained, when data is kept each twenty-four hours, of the amount of food consumed by various people on the conventional diets of civilization, I will select at random some of the results that have been recorded in these investigations, and will give in the Vieno System the approximate results. (See "Vieno System of Food Measurement," Vol. III, p. 639): _Decigrams_ _Nitrogen_ _Vienos Consumed_ California Football Team 66 375 New England Rowing Club 40 255 Wealthy Class in American Cities 30 250 U. S. Army Rations. 37 200 Farmers, Eastern U. S. 34 160 Skilled laborers, U. S. Cities. 40 220 Alabama Negroes 34 145 Japanese Peasants 20 100 [Sidenote: Atwater's Government Standards] From such records Government standards have been roughly approximated. The standards published by the Government, computed by Prof. Atwater, and commonly known as the Atwater standards, are as follows, expressed in vienos: _Decigrams_ _Nitrogen_ _Vienos Consumed_ Man at hard muscular work 55 280 Man at hard work 41½ 240 Man at moderate work 34 200 Man at light muscular work 30½ 180 Man of sedentary habits 27 160 The Atwater standard for women is estimated to be four-fifths of the amount of food required for a man under similar conditions.