Ration

RATION (from the Tatar word 'chai' meaning part, share, portion), a fixed quantity of provisions issued for a specific period—such as a day, month, etc. A ration may be food, tobacco, soap, fodder; other types of rations are also possible. However, most commonly, the term 'ration' refers to food provisions. Before the 1917 revolution in Russia, the term 'ration' referred to the natural provisions issued to military units, i.e., flour, groats, while money was allocated for the kitchen allowance, which consisted of meat, vegetables, fats, and seasonings. Rations are formulated quantitatively and qualitatively according to the assortment (selection) and composition of the food products included. When developing food rations, the following basic data are usually used: a) scientifically substantiated materials on the amount of necessary food and its composition in terms of proteins and fats (animal and vegetable origin), carbohydrates, mineral salts, and vitamins; b) the convenience and possibility, under various circumstances, of processing and preparing diverse, tasty, and satisfying food; c) special indications of a therapeutic, military, geographical, social, political, and other nature; d) age and profession; e) in addition, in the USSR—participation in social construction. The contents of a ration are determined and usually scientifically substantiated by the following basic methods: a) by studying mechanical labor by calculating its magnitude in kg/m, followed by conversion to caloric value and determination of the size of the food ration; however, it is quite clear that such a calculation method, being purely energetic, does not take into account the qualitative characteristics of labor and the products issued (see Nutrition); b) by studying partial (protein, fat, carbohydrate) or complete metabolism; c) by determining the amount of heat generated during the combustion of organic food substances, which is established in Berthelot, Thompson, Peters, etc. calorimeters. In practice, these data are usually taken from special tables. The data obtained on the magnitude of energy expenditure, on the one hand, and the thermal value, on the other, have until now (primarily) served as empirical materials for developing (compiling) various rations, with the principle being that the caloric content fully covers the expenditure associated with work and basic metabolism. The ration supply system can be implemented not only for military units but also along the line of collectivizing the living conditions of various population groups, for groups of workers living on cooperative principles, for example, when supplied from a common pot, etc. Ration supply is most commonly used to feed groups of people united by a number of common characteristics and often even living together: in dormitories, barracks, nurseries, hospitals, correctional homes, etc. For example, there exist military, children's, hospital, expeditionary, sports, prison rations, for students, workers of collective and state farms, Stakhanovites, workers engaged in enterprises related to heavy professions, etc. At present, the system of ration food supply in kind for the entire daily ration exists in the Red Army and in foreign armies and fleets. Military rations are established by special orders according to developed tables of daily allowance norms for peacetime and wartime. Military rations are issued to the rank and file and commanding officers up to a certain category according to the number of consumers in the military unit. In the Red Army, depending on the peculiarities of service, living, climatic, and other conditions, the following basic rations are established: 1) the basic Red Army ration, taking into account corrections for national troops, 2) naval, 3) cadet, 4) for the flight and ground personnel of the Red Army Air Forces, 5) for workers of the chemical service, and 6) various hospital and other rations. In addition to the regular basic ration, additional rations may be issued, namely: 1) polar, 2) anti-scorbutic, 3) festive, 4) for tank crews, divers, and submarine commanders, etc. The table shows the daily norms of various rations by composition and caloric content. S. Kholin.