484 SYMPOSIUM ON FOOD PROBLEMS 



In round numbers these men each lost approximately 150 grams of 

 nitrogen. There is an intimate relationship between this " surplus 

 nitrogen " and the metabolic level. Removing the " surplus nitro- 

 gen," we believe, distinctly lowers the stimulus to cellular activity. 



6. The urine nitrogen per day at the maintenance diet of 2,300 

 net calories was about 9 grams. The control group of 12 men, 

 living substantially the same life and eating in the same dining room, 

 but with unrestricted diet, showed a nitrogen output of 16 or 17 

 grams per day. 



7. The pulse rate was astonishingly lowered. Many of the men 

 showed morning pulse rates as low as 33 and daily counts of 32, 31, 

 and 30 were obtained ; at least one subject gave six definite counts 

 on one morning of 29. 



8. The blood pressure, both systolic and diastolic, was distinctly 

 lowered. 



9. The skin temperature, as measured on the surface of the hands 

 and forehead, was, with some subjects, considerably lower than 

 normal. With most of the men normal temperatures prevailed. 



10. The rectal temperature was practically normal. 



My colleague. Dr. Walter R. Miles, found as a result of nu- 

 merous tests of the neuro-muscular processes that there was no 

 striking change as a result of the reduced diet. There was a very 

 slight falling of¥ in the strength tests with the hand dynamometer. 



As one of the best indices of muscular performance my associate, 

 Dr. H. Monmouth Smith, measured the energy required by each 

 man to walk i mile in about 20 minutes. With a reduced diet, the 

 requirement was found to be lower with all the men "than with a 

 normal diet, this being due, in part, to the fact that the reduced 

 weight meant a lower weight to transport. In other words, these 

 men walked a mile with noticeably less energy consumption than a 

 man not subsisting on a reduced diet. 



The subjective impressions were almost uniform that the muscles 

 in the thigh were distinctly weakened. The men complained of 

 difficulty in walking upstairs, but our personal observations go a 

 long way toward refuting this, for all the men seemed able to go 

 upstairs two steps at a jump on several occasions. On February 

 I, 1918, at Springfield, after 4 months on diet, eleven of the diet 



