22 HAEOLD L. HIGGINS 



reflexes during fasting and undernutrition, in spite of the increased nerv- 

 ous tension, tend to be depressed. With Levanzin, the pupillary, plantar 

 and cremasteric reflexes 'were normal throughout the fast; the knee kick, 

 ankle jerk and abdominal reflexes gradually diminished and were not 

 elicited after the eleventh day of fasting. The knee kick is less irritable 

 with reduced diet than normally. 



The sensory system is essentially unchanged in fasting. The touch 

 and pain perception is believed to be increased during fasting by reason 

 of the loss of subcutaneous fatty tissue, making the receptors of the sen- 

 sory nerve endings more easily affected by outside stimuli. The visual 

 and auditory acuity are not appreciably changed. during a fast. 



In general the mental capacity is unaffected in fasting or under- 

 nutrition. Fasters have claimed that they are much more alert mentally 

 during a fast and can think better ; some qualification must be made as to 

 these statements, however, as the subjects in making this statement have 

 been more or less influenced by preconceived ideas as to the value of 

 fasting. Psychological tests upon Levanzin showed essentially no impair- 

 ment of mental capacity ; his memory, ability to reason, and to perform 

 word association tests was still excellent after thirty-one days. The fol- 

 lowing conclusion has been made regarding mental work in fasting: "The 

 results show that at least they can do approximately as well, and it is 

 not at all unlikely that some can do better, for it must be remembered 

 that there is none of that sluggishness of the mental processes directly after 

 eating, when the digestive processes are at their height, and there is also 

 absence of indigestion and the after effects of alcohol and tobacco. . . . 

 It can be stated, however, with some degree of certainty, that the complete 

 abstinence from food for thirty-one days had little effect upon the -higher 

 mental functions, which were able to develop through practice very much, 

 as they would have done under normal conditions" ( Benedict (d), 1915). 



A group of students, getting a low caloric diet, did quite as well 

 scholastically as a control group (Benedict, Miles, Koth, and Smith, 

 1919). In the war, one hears of no definite dulling of the intellect as 

 a result of the underfeeding. This is quite in accord with the finding in 

 animals that in fasting the nervous system seems to be the last to suffer, 

 its weight and nutrition being remarkably well maintained, probably at 

 the expense of other body tissues. 



But when one considers the effect of underfeeding and fasting on the 

 disposition and mental balance, then there is a different story to tell. Feed- 

 ing is one of the essential routines of life in fact, it is an instinct and 

 when this is affected by diminishing the food then a large amount of will 

 power is called upon to keep from yielding to the apparent demands of . 

 the organism. This is probably no better illustrated than in mild cases 

 of gastro-intestinal disturbances vomiting or diarrhea such as prac- 

 tically everybody has experienced occasionally. If one feels sick, almost 



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