Further, the practice of such economy led to marked improvement in the working of the neuro-muscular machinery, sufficiently noticeable to attract the attention of the men themselves, apart from the records of the dynamometer, etc. Indeed, it has been the universal feeling among all the subjects of experiment that they were less conscious of fatigue than formerly, or that they could do more work without the feeling of fatigue that is usually so conspicuous after heavy work, or long-continued muscular strain. We thus have for consideration an added factor, viz., the possible improvement of the physical condition of the body under a lowered proteid intake. This question, however, we shall discuss more fully later on. It is enough for the present to simply emphasize the fact that with a greatly diminished proteid metabolism the body suffers no harm, the muscular machinery is as well able to perform its work as usual, and consequently there would seem to be no adequate reason why our daily dietary should be cumbered with such quantities of proteid matter as are generally considered necessary for health and strength.
There is one point of great importance in this connection that should not be overlooked, viz., whether the power of resistance toward disease is diminished in any way by a continued low proteid intake. This is surely a proper question, and one that must be carefully considered. Fortunately or unfortunately, we have no facts at our disposal. We have the belief, however, engendered by the results so far obtained, that there is no good ground for assuming the body to be any more susceptible to disease under conditions of low proteid metabolism than when supplied with an excess of proteid food. Indeed, it has been somewhat remarkable how free from all troubles—even during a very trying winter—the subjects of this experiment have been. We believe that economy in the use of proteid food, curtailment of proteid metabolism to a degree commensurate with the real needs of the body, will prove helpful to health, but we have no convincing facts to present,—only the simple statement that all the men have been well and remarkably free from colds and other minor ailments all through the experiment.
It is a remarkable and suggestive fact that when a person has once practised physiological economy in his diet sufficiently long for it to have become in a measure a habit, he has no desire to return to a fuller dietary rich in proteid matter. This, it seems to the writer, is convincing proof that both body and mind are fully satisfied with the smaller amounts of food, and argues in favor of the latter being quite adequate for the physiological needs of the organism. In this connection, the writer presents a few lines received during the summer from one of the soldier detachment. Nine of these men, after completing their work at New Haven early in April, 1904, were detailed for service at St. Louis, and the letter which is quoted was written simply to ask concerning some photographs that had been promised them. In the letter, however, occur two or three sentences which are interesting and suggestive.
World’s Fair Grounds, St. Louis, Mo.,
July 8, 1904.
Professor Russell H. Chittenden:
Dear Sir,—On behalf of the men that were undergoing the “Food Test” conducted by you last winter, I write these few lines asking whether we are entitled to any of the photographs that were taken of us in the Yale Gymnasium the last two days we were there.... The men are all in first-class condition as regards their physical condition, and are all very thankful to you. We eat very little meat now as a rule, and would willingly go on another test. Enclosed you will find a list of the men as follows: Private 1st Class Jonah Broyles; Private 1st Class William E. Coffman; Private 1st Class James D. Henderson; Private 1st Class Maurice D. Loewenthal; Private 1st Class William Morris; Private 1st Class William F. Sliney; Private 1st Class John J. B. Steltz; Private 1st Class Ben Zooman; Private 1st Class William Oakman.
Trusting I may hear from you in the near future, I am,
Very respectfully,
(Signed) John J. B. Steltz.
Medical Department Exhibit U. S. Army, World’s Fair Station.