Mr. C. S. Jacobus, a “Y” athlete, a noted long-distance man, and one of the best University runners.
Mr. H. R. Schenker, an active member of the Y. G. A., a point winner and intercollegiate competitor in gymnastics.
Mr. John Stapleton, a wrestler and gymnast. A professional, a man of large body and great strength.
These eight men are in constant practice and in the “pink of condition.” They were in “training form” when they began the changed diet. All have lost in weight, especially Dr. Callahan, who has dropped from 204 pounds to 185 pounds in two months. Dr. Callahan is not an athlete, but is a vigorous worker in the gymnasium, being in daily and constant practice. He is liberally supplied with adipose tissue and can well afford to drop in weight.
As to the loss of weight in the other cases, it would not be wise to attribute this to the diet alone. We find that most athletes who represent the University in the big contests lose in body-weight, but I attribute this loss as much to worry and responsibility as to strict bodily activity.
These students are in a different class from the soldiers, first, because they are well educated young men, secondly, because their development was towards a specific end, the attainment of strength and skill as representative Yale athletes, and thirdly, on account of college requirements of fifteen hours per week, which time stands for study and laboratory attendance aside from the recitations. We have here a double drain on the body energy. All mental work is expensive, hence the demand upon the corporeal machinery has been very constant and strenuous.
I notice little change in the condition of the men over that of a year ago, when I had most of them with me and under like physical training.
In the case of W. L. Anderson, captain of the Yale Gymnastic Association, there was a noticeable falling off in the strength tests in February and March, but I believe the worry incident to the intercollegiate contests, the steady training, and the business cares of the Association went far towards producing a fatigued state. W. L. Anderson is only a freshman in the Medical School; he did his studying at night, and this combined with his youth doubtless caused the loss of weight as much as any change in diet. He has shown the same symptoms before this year. At this writing he is in good physical condition. I speak with certainty in his case because I have had good opportunity to study him at home. It was while under the restricted diet that he won both championships, these being the Collegiate and All-around Intercollegiate Championship of America.[44]
Schenker won points for the first time in the intercollegiate contests while on the diet; he showed no falling off, rather to the contrary, made a steady gain in ability.