Fletcherism: What It Is; Or, How I Became Young at SixtyFletcher, Horace
Science
Fletcherism: What It Is; Or, How I Became Young at Sixty
Fletcher, Horace
Mastication; Nutrition
The scientific world now began to turn its attention to my discoveries.
Doctor Henry Pickering Bowditch, of Harvard Medical School, the dean of
American physiologists, put the full weight of his respected influence
into the work to secure for America the honour of completing the
investigation; but it was not until the experiments at Yale University,
in New Haven, that the first wide publicity was accorded. The story of
this and subsequent experiments and their results is this: Professor
Russell H. Chittenden was at the time President of the American
Physiological Association, Director of the Sheffield Scientific School
of Yale University, and the recognised leading physiological chemist
of America. He invited me to the annual meeting of the Physiological
Association at Washington, where I described the results in economy
and efficiency, and especially in getting rid of fatigue of brain and
muscle, obtained up to that time. But evidently to little purpose, as
Professor Chittenden revealed to me at the close of the meeting. He
said, in effect:
[Illustration: THE AUTHOR TESTING HIS ENDURANCE BY MEANS OF THE KELLOG
MERCURIAL DYNAMOMETER. DR. ANDERSON, DIRECTOR OF THE YALE GYMNASIUM, IN
THE BACKGROUND.]
"Fletcher, all the men you have met at our meeting like you immensely,
personally; but no one takes much stock in your claims, even with
the endorsement of the Cambridge men; the test there was insufficient
to be conclusive. If, however, you will come to New Haven and let us
put you through an examination, our report will be accepted here. You
will be either justified or disillusioned; and--I want to be frank with
you--I think you will be disillusioned."
MY EXAMINATION
by Dr. Chittenden showed a daily average of 44.9 grams of proteid, 38.0
grams of fat, and 253 grams of carbohydrates, with a total average
calorie value of 1,606 (_compare this with the Voit Diet Standard, page
109_), and careful and thorough tests made at the Yale Gymnasium proved
that, in spite of this relatively low ration, I was in prime physical
condition.
Previously, as before stated, in the autumn of 1901, Dr. Van Someren
had accompanied me to Cambridge for the purpose of having our claims
closely investigated, with the assistance of physiological experts. The
Cambridge and the Venice findings were fully confirmed at New Haven,
and striking physical evidence was added by Doctor William Gilbert
Anderson's examinations of me in the Yale Gymnasium. This latter test,
described on page 24, was more practically important as an eye-opener
to both doctors and laymen than were the laboratory reports. I
personally showed endurance and strength in special tests superior to
the foremost among the College athletes. This was without training and
with comparatively small muscle; the superiority of the muscle lying in
the quality and not in the amount of it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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