156 
PSYCHOLOGY: W. R. MILES 
control squad was not regular, which detracts from the significance of the 
lengthening in the compared two low-diet sessions. 
The diet squad made their best score in finger movements on their one 
normal date, and from this there was a drop of about 6%, which continued 
irregularly until January 26. The performance of the control squad is fairly 
even and at a lower level than the normal for the other men and it shows also 
a decline on the three low-diet dates. 
The many extra-laboratory observations of the men, their subjective im- 
pressions, and general physical and mental performance are of interest. 
Statements from the diet squad men were commonly such as these: "I feel 
fine, except that I notice the cold, am weak in the legs and seem to lack 
'pep;' " "I find it best to study immediately after my meals, and when I 
begin to feel hunger, I occupy myself with the typewriter or other light physi- 
cal work;" "The reduction in diet would not be hard to undergo if everyone 
else at the college were doing it." Opposite the impression of weakness in 
the legs may be set the record of one of the men, who after being on reduced 
diet for fifty-six days, led a hare and hound race over a course of approxi- 
mately 8 miles, running the distance in fifty-four minutes, winning the race by 
eleven minutes. This man stated that he never felt better after a long distance 
run. 
The men are said to have satisfactorily kept up their college work during 
the period. And while it might be criticised that the work would be judged 
leniently by those who were watching the experiment, it should be empha- 
sized that the experiments themselves, the bother of complete collection of 
urine and feces, the many early morning respiration measurements, and the 
frequent trips to Boston, made a heavy draft on the time and energy of the 
men, which their fellow students did not have to bear. 
On February 1, 1918, eleven of the diet squad were pitted against 11 selected 
men from the College at Springfield and placed in an arm-holding contest 
for endurance. The arms were held extended, palms down, at the level of the 
shoulders. The number of men falling out were practically the same in both 
squads; as a matter of fact, 7 of the diet squad and 8 in the competing squad 
were still holding their arms out in the prescribed manner sixty minutes after 
the trial started. It was not anticipated that the contest would be so long, 
and other engagements made it necessary to stop at the end of the hour. 
Whatever one may think of this as a real test of endurance, it is significant 
that the men who had been on reduced diet for four months were not appreciably 
inferior. 
Basing judgment on the more objective laboratory measurements, in general 
it must be concluded that a prolonged reduction in diet produces some de- 
cline in neuro-muscular activities, but this does not seem nearly as definite 
nor as large as the changes in metabolism and allied measurements. The 
psychological changes were not such as to materially interfere with a satisfac- 
tory discharge of the common duties of student life. 
