_Photographs taken prior to the experiment._]
* * * * *
The following letter from Dr. Anderson, the Director of the Yale
Gymnasium, gives his estimate of the men at the end of the first three
months of the experiment:
YALE UNIVERSITY GYMNASIUM, NEW HAVEN, CONN.,
April 12, 1904.
Professor RUSSELL H. CHITTENDEN, _Director of the Sheffield
Scientific School, Yale University._
DEAR SIR,—Herewith find a brief report of the physical
condition and ability of the eight Yale students who are taking
the special diet while engaged in active exercise.
These men, with one exception, Dr. Callahan, are experts in
their special lines of avocation.
Mr. G. W. ANDERSON is a foot-ball, base-ball, and basket-ball
player, as well as a crew man (not Varsity), well built and an
all round athlete.
Mr. W. L. ANDERSON, a “Y” athlete (hurdler), the captain of
the Yale Gymnastic Team, University Gymnastic Champion, and
American Collegiate Gymnastic Champion.
Mr. H. S. BELLIS, a member of the Y. G. A., a gymnast and
acrobat and in constant training.
Dr. W. H. CALLAHAN, Medical Assistant at the Gymnasium, in
daily practice in the gymnasium; bowling, hand-ball, and
running.
Mr. M. DONAHUE, a very muscular and versatile athlete, a
foot-ball player and a Varsity basket-ball player.
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.
Jacobus complained of a pain in his side but in spite of this
he has entered a number of events, has kept up his training and
is in good condition. Jacobus is a long-distance runner; great
endurance is required for these events, and this endurance he
has kept up. He tells me his stomach is in better condition
than it has been during his three years of work at Yale.
Donahue has steadily improved in ability. He has kept his
position on the Varsity Basket Ball Team, and has put up strong
and aggressive games, and says he is as well as ever.
Stapleton shows no falling off at all. He keeps up wrestling,
which is a drastic exercise; he works at heavy gymnastics and
gains steadily.
One matter must be reported in reference to the strength tests.
The first trial was made when all members of the squad were
present. College men are very sensitive to competition, hence
the great exertion put forth. The other trials were made when
the men were by themselves. The “spur” was missing.
I have watched the efforts of these men with interest and care,
especially as two of them live in my own family. I fail to
see any falling off in strength, the case of W. L. Anderson
excepted. The fellows report being in satisfactory shape and
claim that the “ups and downs” are no more in evidence this
year than in the past.
These picked men, representing several kinds of competitive
sports, have gained in ability and skill on the more limited
diet they are now using, and are not showing any signs of
deterioration from the diminished intake of proteid food. I
pronounce them, from a physical standpoint, in good shape.
Respectfully yours,
(Signed) WILLIAM G. ANDERSON.
It must be remembered that this letter from Dr. Anderson was written
after the March strength test was taken, and prior to the test of April
20. Dr. Anderson was not in New Haven at the close of the experiment,
consequently it was not possible to obtain his estimate of the men
at that date, but there can be no question that there was a distinct
improvement from the middle of April to the middle of June; certainly
as marked as the improvement from the beginning of the experiment in
January, to April 12, the date of Dr. Anderson’s letter.
Finally, attention may be called to the photographs of Messrs. Stapleton,
Bellis, and W. L. Anderson, which are introduced primarily to show
the physical makeup and muscular development of the men composing this
student group. The photographs of Stapleton were taken in April, 1904,
after he had been under experiment for three months. The photographs of
Bellis and W. L. Anderson were taken prior to the experiment. They all
afford a good illustration of the highly developed muscular mechanism of
different types, with a corresponding adaptability for different lines of
muscular effort.