Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-04-21
DINNER TO SCIENTISTS
GOLD MRDAL PRESENTED
10 PRoF.aa. II. HALE


At the dinner tenltereds 10 the members Of
the National Academy of Sciences last
evening by their president, Alexander Agas-
stx, Prof. George e. Hale. director of the
Terkes Conservatory, was awarded and
presented with the Diaper gold medal for
scientific research. The presentation, in
the name OF the academy, was made by
President Ag1ssix. Prof. Hale accepting
the honor In brief reply The award was
made because Of the achievements of Prof.
Hale In astrophysical researches. In adj
ditiori to the members of the academy,
there were present. as special guests,
speaker Cannon, Admiral Hfgginsen, COM
mandant of the Washington navy yard,
ana Senator Lodge. The dinner was serv-
ed In one OF the private dining rooms OF
the New Willard and the invited guests
responded without an absentee.
Yesterday afternoon at the session Of
the academy in the National Museum, an
interesting paper was read by Prof. Rus
sea- h Chittenden, director OF the Sheffield
scientific School of Yale University. on the
experiments that have been conducted
y. o1e re-. un , MS direction on the question
~ now mucn food Is required for the sus-
Ienance OF the human body. Prof. Chit
tenoen told the members OF the academy
tnat the experiments showed that man ate
rom twice to three times as much as was
necessary for the preservation of his health
and strength. '-SA' - 'As health
At the Yale school the experiments were
s conducsed with classes comprised of SOL.
the professors OF the school and volunteer
seuoents Although no fixed diet was adj
nered 20, the appetite OF every man being
satisssea at az times, the reduction OF meat
was one OF the drst things adopted. there
being. At the same time, little or no in
crease In the starchy foods supplied.
Inc experlments were concluded a week
ago ana Prof Chittenden said that there
had been no falling of in the weight of the
men, although they. had had only about
haif their usual supply Of food during the
SIX or more months of the test. They were
stronger than when they began, this being
due In some measure to the regularity with
winch they took physical exercise and to
the reduction of the food supply. Their
bodily .vigor had increased, and they were
generally much healthier than when they
began the experiments. This, he argued,
proved that man ate too much and that
those who took less food, regular exercise,
and kept their faculties clear were healthier
than those who overloaded their stomachs
In the Illusion that they required it to slIs-
tain life and strength.
At the morning session new members
were elected as follows: John U. Nef, pro.
fessor of chemistry at the University Of
Chicago; William Morris Davis, professor
of geology at Harvard University; William
Fogg Osgood, professor of mathematics at
Harvard University, and William T. Coun-
Gilman of the Harvard medical school.
The membership of the academy is limit
ed to 100, and the additional members bring
the total on the active list up to ninety
three. II = =
Never more than five are elected in any
one year. and they are selected from men
who have achieved distinction during that
year in any scientific investigation. They
are generally unacquainted with the fact
that the honor is to be given them until
they are advised oft4hefr election.
Papers on important topics were read to-
day. Among these was one on the "Appli-
cation of New Statistical Methods to the
Question of the Causes Influencing Sex"
by Simon Newcomb. ,q