One of the most perplexing factors in the whole research was the unrestricted meals allowed Squad A, i. e., those taken Sunday noon after the biweekly experiment in Boston, and the diet during the Thanksgiving and Christmas recesses. The academic program made it possible for many of these men to go to their homes every two weeks. Under these conditions they would take their meals at the family table and, on account of the apprehension of parents and friends, it was almost obligatory for the men to eat more food than was commonly served at the diet table. After considerable discussion it was deemed absolutely essential to allow these men unrestricted diet on these days, but they were especially cautioned to curtail so far as possible the consumption of protein. The men consented to report in writing to the best of their knowledge the food eaten in the unrestricted meals on the alternate Sunday noons. It will be recalled that they were given a standardized laboratory breakfast and the Sunday evening meal was usually very light; hence, the chief extra energy was obtained in the Sunday noon dinner.

Fig. 68. - Body-weight curve of Vea.

With nearly every man there was a perceptible increase in the body-weight following the free meal, this increase frequently amounting to as much as 1 kg. In the curves for all of the subjects but Bro, the first actual rise occurs shortly after the unrestricted day November 11-12. We thus have a definite rise in weight, which can be ascribed solely to the excess food eaten on this unrestricted day. With 10 subjects this rise is also shown after November 25, and with many of the subjects to an even greater degree. The increase in weight after November 25 represents for five of the subjects the second appreciable increase in the weight curve. If one disregards the slight increase with Tom of 250 grams between the fortieth and fifty-fifth days, his curve likewise shows the second noticeable increase in the period following November 25.

The increase in weight shown after the Sunday meal is still more evident in the weights recorded after the Christmas vacation during which the diet was unrestricted for a considerable period. In spite of the utmost care on the part of the experimenters, the emphasis laid upon the importance of retaining, so far as possible, the original body-weight and the definitely expressed hope that the men would return at or near the body-weight at which they left Springfield, practically all the men came back to college after the Christmas recess with a very much larger body-weight. Certain members of the diet squad carried out the dietetic restrictions during the period of absence, holding their weight at essentially a constant level; these men are especially to be commended. In regard to the other men, it should be stated that it was expressly stipulated that if they continued as subjects after Christmas they should be allowed to go home for the holidays without restriction as to diet, the only condition being that they should, so far as possible, curtail the protein and fat intake. This caution to reduce the protein and fat, even when on unrestricted diet, was not disliked by the men, who had craved carbohydrate food particularly throughout the entire experiment. Hence we find an excessive consumption of cakes, candies, pies, and other sweets in the record of food eaten during the Christmas recess.

An examination of the nitrogen in the food (see table 34, p. 270) shows that, in spite of the injunctions given them, the subjects consumed not a little nitrogen in the unrestricted meals, which at times reached an excessive amount, and unquestionably led to nitrogen storage. An examination of the nitrogen excretion on the Mondays following these days of excess food shows that usually, when there was a reasonably regular loss of nitrogen prior to the Sunday meal, this loss either ceased, and became a slight positive gain, or was very much decreased. Unfortunately, the absence of a record of the urine for these Sundays makes the whole question of nitrogen balance somewhat uncertain.