BORIC ACID AND BORAX. 11 



the work, therefore, included the idea of conducting the investigations 

 with volunteers young men, most of whom were connected with the 

 Department of Agriculture and provided that during the period of 

 observation they should continue in their usual vocations. 



ORGANIZATION OF THE WORK. 



A large number of volunteers offered their services for the investi- 

 gations above outlined. Each applicant for a place at the experi- 

 mental table was required to fill out a blank describing the usual 

 conduct of his daily life. This blank is as follows: 



Descriptive blank to be filled out by applicants for hygienic table. 



(1) Name and address. (2) Date of birth. (3) Have you had any sickness con- 

 fining you to your room within a year? If so, state nature and duration. (4) Are 

 you subject to indigestion? If so, state character and frequency. (5) Do you use 

 coffee, tea, or chocolate with your meals? If so, state at which meals and what bev- 

 everage you prefer. (6) Do you use tobacco? If so, state in what form, at what 

 times, and quantity. (7) Do you use wine, beer, or other alcoholic beverages? (8) 

 Do you go to stool regularly? At what hours? (9) At what hours do you usually 

 urinate? (10) At what hours do you go to bed? How many hours do you usually 

 sleep? (11) Do you engage in any unusual or violent exercise? If so, what? 



From the data thus obtained the fitness of the applicant for the long 

 continued and careful work which he would be called upon to do was 

 largely determined. The reputation of the applicant for reliabilit} 7 

 and probit} 7 of conduct was also a matter of importance, since it was 

 evident that young men whose truthfulness and honesty could be ques- 

 tioned would not be suitable persons for the work. 



In addition to the other information which was available, it should 

 be remembered that all the young men who volunteered for the experi- 

 mental work had passed examinations to enter the civil service of the 

 Government. These examinations look carefully into the moral char- 

 acter of the applicants, their reputation for sobriety and reliability, 

 and their general reputation among those intimately acquainted with 

 them. 



In selecting from the number of applicants it was decided that those 

 addicted to the use of alcoholic beverages should be excluded. This 

 exclusion was not based upon any prejudice which might arise from 

 the use of alcoholic beverages, nor was it an expression of any princi- 

 ple or opinion relating to this habit. Since, however, the young men 

 selected were to pledge themselves neither to eat nor to drink any- 

 thing which was not given them at the experimental table, except 

 water, it was thought that they could more easily keep that pledge if 

 they were not addicted to the use of alcoholic beverages. 



In regard to the use of tobacco a different principle was followed. 

 Applicants who used tobacco in moderation were not rejected for that 

 reason. It was required of them, however, that they should make a 



