138 THE PROTEIN ELEMENT IN NUTRITION 



causes which tend to diminish the number and impoverish the 

 physique of the coloured races is not over- but under-feeding. 



On the other hand, Irving Fisher claims that a decrease in the 

 protein element of the diet is favourable to endurance. He 

 carried out a series of feeding experiments on nine healthy 

 students, lasting for five months, with endurance tests at the 

 beginning, middle, and end of the period. During this period 

 the total calories of the daily ration had fallen 25 per cent., the 

 protein 40 per cent., and the fresh food 80 per cent. Six simple 

 gymnastic tests were employed, such as raising the body on the 

 toes, holding the arms horizontally, raising and lowering the 

 dumb-bell. 



The endurance was found to be much greater at the end than 

 at the beginning of the experiment. It appears to us these 

 tests are not of the slightest value, unless the nine students were 

 under constant supervision, and it could be definitely stated 

 that they did not practise the required tests in the intervals. 

 These observations, again, were carried out without controls, 

 and it is more than probable that the results recorded are easily 

 explained as due to practice by the students in order to make 

 the experiment a success. 



On the other hand, the students showed loss of strength in the 

 grip and loss of weight. These ill-effects are attributed to over- 

 study or other causes, but the increase in endurance was, of 

 course, entirely due to the low protein dietary. Spriggs remarks 

 that these considerations do not inspire confidence in the diet. 



Fortunately, in the interests of truth, we are able to place on 

 record some evidence of very recent date, which appears to us 

 to be of considerable value in appraising the effects of a low 

 protein dietary. It has already been shown that the average 

 Indian student in Calcutta lives on a protein metabolism closely 

 approximating the Chittenden standard, whilst Anglo-Indian 

 and Eurasian students receive dietaries more nearly approaching 

 Voit's standard. We shall have more to say on the effects of 

 this difference later, but at present a brief account of the com- 

 parative tests afforded by the intercollegiate athletic sports in 

 Calcutta will be given. 



Twelve colleges entered representative teams to compete in 

 the different events. The very great majority of the students 

 attending these colleges are Indian, the Anglo-Indian and 

 Eurasian probably not exceeding 2 per cent, of the total number. 



