, that
the hours of sleep can be reduced decidedly when the diet is cut down.
It would seem as though a part of our sleep might often be due to
avoidable auto-intoxication. If one can shorten his nightly sleep
without feeling the worse for it this is an important gain."

But the amount of food is probably not so important as the kind. Foods
containing much starch, as potatoes and rice, may ordinarily be taken
in greater quantities than foods containing much protein, such as meats
and nuts. So our problem is not so much concerned with quantity as with
the choice of kinds of food. Probably the most favorable distribution
of foods for students is a predominance of fruits, coarse cereals,
starch and sugar and less prominence to meats. Do not begin the day's
study on a breakfast of cakes. They are a heavy tax upon the digestive
powers and their nutritive value is low. The mid-day meal is also a
crucial factor in determining the efficiency of afternoon study, and
many students almost completely incapacitate themselves for afternoon
work by a too-heavy noon meal. Frequently an afternoon course is
rendered quite valueless because the student drowses through the
lecture soddened by a heavy lunch. One way of overcoming this
difficulty is by dispensing with the mid-day meal; another way is to
drink a small amount of coffee, which frequently keeps people awake;
but these devices are not to be universally recommended.

The heavy meal of a student may well come at evening. It should consist
of a varied assortment of foods with some liquids, preferably clear
soup, milk and water. Meat also forms a substantial part of this meal,
though ordinarily it should not be taken more than once a day. Much is
heard nowadays about the dangers of excessive meat-eating and the
objections are well-founded in the case of brain-workers. The
undesirable effects are "an unprofitable spurring of the metabolism--
more particularly objectionable in warm weather--and the menace of
auto-intoxication." Too much protein, found in meat, lays a burden upon
the liver and kidneys and when the burden is too great, wastes, which
cannot be taken care of, gather and poison the blood, giving rise to
that feeling of being "tired all over" which is so inimical to mental
and physical exertion. When meat is eaten, care should be taken to
choose right kinds. "Some kinds of meat are well known to occasion
indigestion. Pork and veal are particularly feared. While we may not