534 PHALEN. 



This table shows that the two groups of men suffered in very nearly 

 equal proportions from the effects of the heat, the greatest variations being 

 in the item of excessive perspiration, in which the special group gave a 

 much greater proportion than the controls. As this phenomenon was the 

 evidence of the medical officers aud not the statement of the subjects 

 observed, it is a significant fact. The other symptoms vary to an extent 

 that could be accounted for by the laws of chance, and therefore are of no 

 sj»ecial signification. 



Impressions of the wearer. — At the close of the experiment each man 

 who wore the orange-red underwear was asked to give his opinion of it, 

 and to express his views as to its advantage or disadvantages. 



The tendency of the man was to give the consensus of opinion of the organiza- 

 tion as his own, but this was overcome as far as possible by a list of questions 

 previously prepared. Of the whole number only 16 men preferred the colored 

 underwear to white; that it was cooler, was the reason assigned by 7 men. while 

 4 declared that it relieved them of headache and dizziness; relief from headache, 

 fever, and prickly heat each were assigned by one man as a reason for preferring 

 the colored garments, while the remaining 2 men paid the clothing the doubtful 

 compliment that it did not show the dirt like the white; 54 men stated that they 

 experienced no effect one way or another from the clothing and that they had 

 no choice between the colors. A decision adverse to the colored underwear was 

 pronounced by all the rest of its wearers, nearly 400 in all. In 50 instances it 

 was declared to be hotter than the white, while 104 men expressed the same idea 

 by saying that it caused more profuse perspiration. It was perhaps the same 

 impression that caused 21 men to declare it too heavy; 64 said that it felt more 

 "uncomfortable" than the white, many attributing this to the irritating effect 

 on the skin. Other complaints relative to the skin were that it "scratched," given 

 by 5 men; that it ''caused itch," given by 3; that it "caused skin disease," given 

 by 2 ; while 6 complained of its causing prickly heat. Two of the latter said they 

 had never suffered from this complaint until wearing this underwear and that 

 it had since been persistent. The appearance of the underwear was apparently 

 distasteful to a number of men, especially after the garments had faded. Fifty- 

 two men objected to the clothing because of its fading, while 42 disliked its ap- 

 pearance after washing, declaring it "dirty looking," "lacking in neatness," and 

 "unsanitary." The staining of the outer clothing from the dye was mentioned 

 by 2 men. Four spoke of a bad odor from the clothing and this was mentioned 

 by one of the organization commanders. Among the effects charged to the 

 clothing, by lesser numbers, were headache, dizziness, fever, blurred vision, boils, 

 colic, and a tendency to catch colds. 



It is not to be doubted that there was some prejudice against the cloth- 

 ing in the minds of the wearers. This was due to the fact that they were 

 rendered conspicuous and were subjected to bantering by their com- 

 panions. The fact that they were charged with experimental clothing 

 also had a bad effect. Despite this handicap it is thought that the criti- 

 cisms of the clothing by the men were made in all sincerity, and expressed 

 their true impressions of the test. 



All the organization commanders who reported upon the clothing, ex- 

 pressed the opinion that no effect was apparent from its use. The 

 lack of stability of the dye was commented upon by all and the general 



