The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1921-06-15

At what hour does your brain do
the most work?
Recent investigations by psy.
biologists OF the British Isles
showed that the minds of the Mr..
John Bulls had the most Jazz at
ten in the morning. Efficiency
was at its peak then, the investi.
gators found. The "duli drop"
came from u to 1 p. m.
The psychologists gave hourly
tests between s a. m. and s p. m.
Three o'clock was found to be the
most efficient afternoon hour.
The British efficiency table was
as follows:
Efficiency at s o'clock a. M, 100
per cent; 8 O'clock a. M, 104.3; 10
O'Clock a. m., 1866; IL o'clock a.
M, 1856: 1 o'clock p. M, 9S7;f 3
O'Clock p. M, 1905; 8 o'clock p.
m., 1851; 4 o'clock p: M, 1863;
5 o'clock p. M, 1904.
This schedule of course has been
worked out by an Englishman and
cannot be taken as a rule for Amer
leans, especially Fairmonters. In
order to get some idea OF the brain
efficiency Of Fairmonters a few To-
cal samples were taken and sent to
the psychological laboratory for ex-
animation,
There's Deacon Engle, for In
stance II is hard to believe the re-
suits in; his case but he really SEEM
ed serious when he expressed his
views on the efficiency OF tiis brain,
Mr.. Engie started ont bysaying that
Americans are LIVING a very fast life
,todaysandsns,tte7D Deaeonst FassuredS
,y an American he should know
! raat tghe IS talking about. He be-
ieyes firmly that he can do the best
sinking after he eats his dinner in
the evening, or while eating said
dinner. Now It is true that many
great literary men claim to do their
best writing at night and It is very
possible that Mr.. Engle writes his
;est postry at this time. But, go
ng a little farther Deacon Engle be-
!ieves that it is the general rule that
nearly everybody can think best az.
ter the dinner hour in the evening.
Perhaps this accounts for the fact
that so many business men never
hit their offices in the morning until
10. Mr.. Engle believed the subject
1f brain efficiency to be a serious
one and consequently did not have
Huch to say on It. However he did
us best.
1t was deemed best that the next
ocrson to be tested should be law
yer, for they are essentially brain
workers and would surely have their
best working hours we'll IN mind.
Accordingly Ira L. Smith was the
next. Now Ira L .is-well-he is a
deep thinker and when he got start
ed he came forth with SO much
meaty thought and go many hard
facts that book could easily be
written about what he said. Con.
trary to Deacon Engle, Ira believes
that the hest and only time to think
in the summertime is Immediately
after breakfast.
OF course the breakfast must bt
of least at Z o'clock. He was anx.
ious to make that clear. And II
should be a light breakfast. This Is
Ira Smiths best thinking time in
the summer but in the winter It is
practically reversed. He likes to
sleep late in the winter time and
then eat a late breakfast which is
barely digested before dinner time
comes and he finds that inlwintet
he can think best in the afternoon.
He would not admit it, but 1t is pos
slble that he can think very well on
winter nights which accounts for his
liking to sleep late in the morning.
After these few brief remarks Mr.
Smith launched off on his fayorite
theme Of condemnlng the American
people for living too fast and spe-
cializing too intensely. He has It
straight from a New York doctor
that the American business man
does not know how to. play and that
even In church on Sunday he Is
merely resting up and laying h!a
plans for The morrow.
Now to really get a well balanced
opinion or group OF opinions It Is
best to have the views OF the re-
Gently enfranchised sex. Miss Ruth
Merrifield and Miss Ruth Fleming,
both business women, both said that
no matter how sleepy they might
be they could do the best and most
work In the morning from, nine un-
til ten o'clock. In fact, they said,
they could do as much work then
as they do all afternoon. The ex-
planned this by saying that they had
fewer customers to attend to be-
tween nine and ten o'clock. 1t was
not until the amateur psychologist
got back to his laboratory that II
dawned on him that the ladies had
said nothing at all about thinking
and brain efficiency. So that mat
ter Is stfll wide open, and will5be
until a few more opinions are taken.