312 ANIMAL BIOLOGY 



men were of the same age, had the same food, and lived 

 under the same conditions. The one lot of men were 

 given beer when they wanted it, which they usually did 

 when tired ; the others had no alcohol. While the alcoholic 

 lot outstripped the others at first, they soon lagged behind 

 and did far less in a day than the others. When the condi- 

 tions were reversed, the lot of men who formerly drank 

 but now took no alcohol did much more work in a day than 

 the other lot. The experiences of Kitchener, Roberts, 

 and others with soldiers has convinced them that men 

 endure marching and other tasks much better without al- 

 cohol. Count von Haeseler, the German commander, 

 says "The soldier who abstains altogether is the best 

 soldier. He can accomplish more, can march better, 

 and is a better soldier than the man who drinks even 

 moderately." 



The almost unanimous testimony of mountain climbers 

 is that if arduous journeys are to be taken no alcohol 

 should be used. Athletes in training are usually not al- 

 lowed alcohol. Although alcohol is a food, the trainers 

 of athletes have learned that it is a very dangerous ex- 

 periment to allow its use, even in very small amounts. 



Alcohol not only reduces the capacity to perform tasks in- 

 volving strength and endurance, but it has an even greater 

 effect on performances that require dexterity and skill. 

 Experiments with type setters who were given a moderate 

 amount of alcohol on certain days and no alcohol on others, 

 have shown that the amount of work done when no alcohol 

 is given was, on the average, markedly less on the alcoholic 

 days, although the men were under the impression that 

 they were accomplishing more. Kraepelin, who believed 

 that alcohol in small amounts increased the activity of 

 his mind in adding, subtracting, and learning figures, 

 found, when he came to test the matter, that he accom- 



