MISCELLANEOUS METHODS AND APPARATUS. 69 



annoying features in the whole investigation was the inordinate delay 

 in the express delivery between Boston and Springfield. Considering 

 the unusual demands put upon the express companies, the irregularity 

 in train service caused by extra heavy shipments of munitions and coal, 

 and the extraordinarily severe winter of 1917-18 in New England, we 

 should perhaps be congratulated on receiving all the samples. Oc- 

 casionally samples would be received in a condition of incipient fermen- 

 tation owing to delay in transit, but in no instance did the fermentation 

 reach such a stage as to justify us in believing that an appreciable loss 

 of energy had taken place. Another difficulty was the fact that with 

 relatively large amounts of milk and occasionally cocoa, samples were 

 sometimes frozen; occasionally the freezing resulted in breakage of 

 the glass bottle. Fortunately in no instance were both samples a and 

 h destroyed by the breakage of the bottle from rough handling in 

 shipment or from freezing.^ 



All of the energy in the food consumed by the squad was supplied at 

 the table, with the single exception of chewing gum. It was soon 

 found that chewing gum was much desired by a large number of the 

 squad. At first it was considered that this could be permitted ad 

 lihitum, but later we became aware of the fact that each stick of chewing 

 gum contained 2 grams of soluble carbohydrate, corresponding to 

 an energy content of approximately 8 calories. It therefore became 

 necessary for us to record accurately the amount of gum used by 

 each subject, and the subjects were asked to report three times' daily 

 the amount of gum chewed. This statement of gum used forms an 

 integral part of our system of records. 



Approximately once every two weeks the men were allowed to eat 

 two meals uncontrolled, usually the dinner and supper on the Sundays 

 following their return from a series of respiration and psychological 

 experiments mad^ at the Nutrition Laboratory in Boston. The kinds 

 and approximate amounts of food eaten at these meals were reported 

 by the men each time. As these reports were entirely uncontrolled, 

 they have only an approximate value. This biweekly freedom, though 

 slight, was much enjoyed by the men and appeared to be psychologically 

 desirable. When one considers that these men were under observa- 

 tion day after day, almost from hour to hour, for a period of 4 months, 

 it will be seen that a certain degree of relaxation, other than that 

 secured at Christmas and Thanksgiving, was absolutely necessary. 

 The reports of the meals made by the men are reasonably clear and 

 certainly serve to give an approximate estimate of the amount of 

 protein and energy of the food eaten. 



In addition to the controlled meals at the regular diet table, every 

 visit to Boston resulted in at least two controlled meals there, one at a 



^ Ueually samples o and b were shipped in separate boxes. 



