July 4, 19 18] 



NATURE 



o:>/ 



' arlier objections to Prof. Chittenden's inferences from 

 his experiments, I realise that, although abstract 

 science and propaganda are more or less incompatible, 

 in time of stress old beliefs may well be challenged, 

 earlier concepts discarded, and conservatism permitted 

 to exercise a less restiaining influence; hence a public 

 avowal of change in point of view and an admission 

 of the errors of earlier judgment are not onh desirable, 

 but also absolutely necessary While still maintain- 

 ing that the published records of Prof. Chittenden's 

 experiments left the desirability of a propaganda for 

 lower protein and energy open to serious fundamental 

 criticism, 1 am now convinced that his data on protein 

 intake justified many of his public statements and 

 recommendations. His conjectures regarding calorie 

 needs seem in no small part substantiated by the 

 results of this new research. 

 I Although some of our men were under twenty-one 



years of age, the data obtained in our experiments 

 have no bearing on the period of growth; the diet of 

 the growing child should in no circumstances be 

 reduced. Neither are the results applicable to the 

 cotiditions of severe muscular work, as, for example, 

 in the .'\rmy. They may, however, legitimately sug- 

 gest practices for patriotic civilians not performing 

 severe muscular work; that these standards represent 

 the optimum needs for peace times requires further 

 evidence for substantiation. It is quite clear that a 

 civilian body of men could readily withstand a siege 

 on half-rations without difficulty for several months, 

 and, since danger seems remote, that reduced rations 

 for all adult civilians may be justifiable as a war 

 measure for a relatively long period of months. Prof. 

 Chittenden's conclusions from his experiments that a 

 low protein diet is practicable seem fully substantiated ; 

 this expensive source of food material may thus be 

 materially lowered. The calories may also, without 

 doubt, be lowered. Indeed, it may become a serious 

 question as to whether a patriot should be permitted 

 in times of .stress to carry excess body-weight, for the 

 expense of carrying it around calls for calories that 

 other people need. The excess weJ^ght is prima facie 

 evidence that he is living at the highest ' metabolic 

 level, higher than he needs by approximately 25 per 

 cent., and there is no doubt that the excess weight 

 contributes to shorten life. 



It is quite clear that variation in diet. is absolutely 

 essential. If a person craves a certain article of food 

 he mav eat it, but he should stick religiously to the 

 '■ half portion." 



Of special significance is the importance of not 

 rating between meals and of omitting the eating of 

 extras. It has surprised us to find how large a pro- 

 portion of the total diet is made up o"f these extras. 

 Capt. Gephart, in his study of the food intake of 

 St. Paul's School, Concord, New Hampshire, found 

 that out of a total daily intake of 5000 calories per 

 boy, 647 calories were derived from extras in the form 

 of sweet chocolate, candy, coffee-buns, etc. With our 

 control squad at Springfield, when on normal diet, 

 approximately 4000 calories were consumed daily by 

 each individual. Of this amount about 400 calories 

 were obtained from extras not served at the table. 



1 cannot feel that an alteration in the .Army diet is 

 iu^Jtifiable at present. It is bad policy "to swap horses 

 in the middle of the stream." The fighting unit may 

 well be exempt^ from innovations, but let the civilian 

 tiopulation give this whole project a thorough, honest 



f, recognising that while there may be, in certain 



-. s, an element of hazard, and in many cases an 

 - rnent of discomfort, the possibilities for danger in 

 M (omplishing a weight reduction of 10 per cent, are 

 li. iiiligible. The calories thereby saved are by no means 

 negligible, but with the sum-total of our population 

 would feed an enormous Army. 

 XO. 2540, VOL. 10 1 ] 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 

 INTELLIGENCE. 



Lord Durham has been elected Chancellor of 

 Durham University in succession to the late Duke 

 of Northumberland. 



The residue of the estate of the late Mr. T. P. 

 Sims, of Swansea, has been left to the Swansea 

 Technical School for the foundation of three two-year 

 scholarships in the subjects respectiveh of chemistry, 

 metallurgy, and modern languages for commercial 

 purposes. 



The Board of Agriculture and Fisheries has awarded 

 the Kream memorial prize for 1918 to Mr. Leonard C, 

 Robinson, a student of the Harper Adams Agricul- 

 tural College,* Newport, Salop, who took the highest 

 marks at this year's examination for the National 

 diploma in agriculture. 



We have received a copy of the calendar of the 

 Kyushu Imperial University. The University was 

 established at Fukuoka by Imperial ordinance in 

 December, 1910, the first article of which lays it down 

 that " Imperial universities shall have for their objects 

 the teaching of such arts and sciences as are required '■ 

 for the purpose of the State and the prosecution of 

 original research in said arts and sciences." Among 

 other interesting developments recorded in the calendar 

 may be mentioned the establishment in 19 14 of a 

 marine biological station in connection with the insti- 

 'tute of anatomy in the University. The regulations 

 show that real efforts are being made to encourage 

 research in the University; a certain number of 

 students, who are possessed of high academic attain- 

 ments and good character and wish to devote them- 

 selves to scientific research, are selected and appointed 

 to research scholarships, exempting thenl from inves- 

 tigation fees, and providing a monthly allowance to 

 enable them to pursue their study and research. 



There was a discussion in Committee of the Hous<- 

 of Commons on July 2 upon clause 22 of the Educa- 

 tion Bill, which provides for the abolition of fees in 

 all public elementary' schools. Mr. Fisher, President 

 of the Board of Education, replying to the arguments 

 put forward in favour of the continued recognition of 

 fee-paying elementary schools now existing, pointed, 

 out that the Bill retains fees in secondary schools and 

 abolishes them in elementary schools, and provides for 

 free education in continuation schools. In other 

 words, it applies the principle that where education is 

 compulsory it is to be given without charge to the 

 parents, but where the parent has an option whether 

 or not to send his child to a particular type of school 

 there he should be at liberty to pay fees. It. is the 

 opinion of the inspectors of the Board that the exists 

 ence of fee-paying schools militates against *he propeir 

 organisation of higher-grade education in an area. 

 The case for fee-paving schools is the provision of 

 exceptional opportunities, but if the opportunities are 

 no longer exceptional, the special case for those .schools 

 is greatly weakened. The clause was eventually, 

 agreed to without amendment, as were also the re- 

 maining classes of the Bill. 



Science for May 10 publishes a report of the Mellon 

 Institute in the University of Pittsburgh, in which 

 Prof. Kennedy Duncan's scheme for industrial re- 

 search fellowships is in operation. Particulars of 

 this scheme were publi.shed by the Board of Education 

 some time ago in a pamphlet written bv Mr. T. LI. 

 Humberstone. The progress made bv the institute 

 is indicated bv the increase in the number of fellows 

 from twenty-four in 1911-12 to sixty-four in 1917^18. 

 the amounts contributed by the subsidising firms hav- 

 ing increased in the same periotl from 39,700 dollars to 



