Fisher — The Effect of Diet on Endurance. 27 



(1*) I went into the second test witli some trepidation, knowing 

 tliat I had lost considerable weight the preceding ten weeks. 

 Physicall}', I cannot say that I felt stronger before the second test 

 than before the first ; nor did I feel weaker. As the test developed, 

 however, I soon saw that my endurance, both mental and physical, 

 had increased. 



Generally speaking, the soreness was less extensive, less trying or 

 acute, and (I think) shorter-lived than in Januar}'. ... It seems 

 to rae, as 1 finished the test much fresher than in January, a clear 

 gain in efficiency is proven. The test seemed certainly to make a 

 true report. . . 



I can ascribe gain in endurance to nothing but the diet and thor- 

 ough mastication. Every other factor in the situation was against 

 this gain — exercise, of which T took certainly no more than usual 

 and in the latter weeks much less ; work, of which I had had a long, 

 hard pull as against the three weeks' rest preceding the January 

 test ; sleep, much decreased for most of May and June. You stated 

 last December that you wished ever}^ factor to be in favor of the 

 first test and against the second. This condition has been true in 

 high degree for my case. . . Whatever the efficacy of the two 

 tests in proving the superiority of low proteid and thorough masti- 

 cation for the other members of the club, I feel convinced that they 

 prove that superiority with considerable force in my own case. 



I have tried meat and chicken a number of times in the last two 

 weeks, partly from curiosity and partly from necessity. But in every 

 case anticipation has been pleasanter than realization, and vlv^ low- 

 proteid tendencies bid fair to remain for some time to come. I may 

 say that I had no opinion on the diet question when the experiment 

 started, but am now a hearty low-proteid exponent. 



I went into the test with considerable foreboding as to my endur- 

 ance showing ; for I have Avorked now without a break for twenty- 

 two weeks at hard mental labor, the last two weeks being especially 

 confining and involving large losses of sleep and exercise. I may 

 say that I have been unusually well for six or eight weeks, and 

 bowels have been running with greater ease and constancy than for 

 several years, . . The end iirance-tests, showing a good increase 

 in every test, consequently came as a complete surprise ; and my 

 self-confidence, largely absent at the start, returned in increasing 

 measure as the test went on. . , 



Thursday, June 21 [5 days after test]. Played golf this morning 

 and afternoon (9 holes each time) with perfect ease, no difficulty 



