SELECTION OF SUBJECTS. 45 



with their college studies and who might feel that they could assmne 

 the added work without prohibitive difficulty. 



In selecting the personnel for Squad A from the volunteers who 

 offered, preference was given to those in the senior class and to men 

 who were of age. No stress was placed on scholastic standing, but it is 

 not surprising to discover that the men of this group have college 

 records which average slightly higher than those of their fellow class- 

 men. The college grades have been carefully investigated in reference 

 to this matter, the college registrar, Mr. John F. Simons, kindly 

 cooperating in this as on many another occasion. The record sheets 

 were placed at our disposal and from these the grades were transcribed 

 and later studied. Eight of the men of Squad A (Brown, Canfield, 

 Gardner, Gullickson, Moyer, Peckham, Tompkins, and Veal) were 

 seniors.^ Their average college grade, which includes all the term 

 grades given in all the subjects which these men had taken at the 

 International Y. M. C. A. College prior to September 1917, was 88.6 

 per cent. There were 31 other men in the senior class. The average 

 grade for the latter group, computed in identically the same manner as 

 for the men of Squad A, was 86.3 per cent. Three of the men of Squad 

 A as finally made up were sophomores (Montague, Peabody, and 

 Spencer). The average grade of these in courses taken before Sep- 

 tember 1917 was 84 and that for a group of 27 fellow classmen was 83 

 per cent. The differences between averages, while in favor of the 

 Squad A men, are rather small and would indicate that our subjects 

 were not so much above the average student in ability that they could 

 do average work without effort. Any prolonged and serious inter- 

 ference with mental efficiency would therefore probably show itself in 

 their college class work. 



EVIDENCE OF DIETETIC CONTROL. 



Before taking part in the research, each member of both squads was 

 requested to sign the following affidavit : 



"The undersigned, being acquainted with the requirements imposed upon 

 all who volunteer to serve as subjects in the war-ration research, promises so 

 far as hes in his power to lend his entire cooperation in minutely and faith- 

 fully acquitting himself of all the duties required of him personally for the 

 successful achievement of the research. He further promises his uninter- 

 rupted services and cooperation as subject during the entire period of observa- 

 tion. He promises not to eat or drink anything away from the training table, 

 unless special provisions are previously made therefor. If, inadvertently, 

 this rule is broken, he will immediately report all details of the breach, to 

 assist in attempting to correct the error. He will not seek to be released from 

 his responsibilities as subject until the completion of the research, unless com- 

 pelled to do so by major causes, such causes to be declared justifiable by a 



^ Another man, Fretter, was also a senior, but as elsewhere stated, his service in Squad A was 

 very short. Since no scholastic results can be given for him when on diet, he has been 

 included in the larger group of seniors. Kontner, who replaced Fretter in the squad, 

 had special college work and there was no group with which he could well be compared. 



