variation in the daily handling of the hens. The
result of this experiment, however, was completely satisfactory, as the
eggs produced by those hens not only contained a startling increase in
the quantity of mineral salts, but their fertility was far greater than
that of hens handled in the usual manner. The increase of fertility in
itself is, it seems to me, the best proof of the soundness of my
theoretical premises.

Some of the results of this experiment were published in the Reliable
Poultry Journal in 1905, and Dr. Woods offered confirmatory evidence of
the soundness of my conclusions two years later, after he had himself
experimented along the same line.

I will cite just one fact revealed by that experiment, namely, that
whereas 100 grams of dried egg yolk ordinarily contains only from 10 to
20 milligram of iron the eggs of those hens yielded from 30 to 80
milligrams. And all of the minerals were increased from 10 to 25 per
cent or more.

The method of applying the principles of physiological chemistry to the
enriching of the mineral content of our foodstuffs evolved by me is,
with due recognition of the difference between the vegetable and animal
kingdoms, equally applicable in the raising of all our foodstuffs with
an augmented mineral content. I will adduce just one result of my work
in the handling of small fruit: on the average, 100 grams of dried
strawberries will yield 8.6 to 9.3 milligrams of iron, but strawberries
raised by me yield from 30 to 40 milligrams per 100 grams.

In view of the facts with regard to the function of these minerals, it
is indisputably true that a ration is physiologically inefficient if it
does not contain a sufficiency of them in proper proportion. Moreover,
this is trebly true in the case of those whose constitution has been
weakened by loss of blood from rounds, by shell shock and trench fever,
and of those here at home whose nerve tissue has been degenerated and
whose blood has been weakened by anxiety and the strain of unwonted
manual labor. The last consideration applies with especial force to the
multitudes of women who have entered industry as manual laborers. What
kind of offspring can we expect from these people whose plasma is thus
degenerated? The children are the citizens of the future, and even
before they are born we must plan for their health.

What could be more effective in treating the anaemic condition of
wounded and crippled boys, and in treating the same