Evening star., 1925-08-15

Continued from First Page.l
tervals with all manner Of tests
psychological as we'll as medical. Be
sides the automobile tests. they are
being given the Army Alpha intelli-
gence tests at intervals to record
what effect prolonged wakefulness Is
having on their ability to exercise
their brains. They are having auto
mobile license plates flashed IN front
of them by special apparatus and then
quickly obscured from view by fall
ing shutter and are then being re-
quired to report their memory of the
number. State and year shown on the
automobile tags. Other sorts of In
genious wit-searching methods are
being tried on them.
Repeats Tests.
Yesterday DR.. Hunter mace pre-
itninary tests. representing normal,
unfatigued conditions; today he Is re-
peating them. Physical strength,
lung capacity, numbers of blood cor
puscles, both red and white, and the
chemical condition Of the blood and
other body fluids are among the items
under examination.
Dr. ]. H. Roe, head OF the chemistry
department of the medical school, who
Is making the chemical analysis, hopes
20 gain definite information as to
whether lack Of sleep causes the thy
roid and adrenal glands to be over
active.
When these glands are too active
there is apt to be too much sugar in
he blood" said DR.. Roe. This Is a
diabetic condition. 1t may be that
lack of sleep eKaggerates the condi-
ton Of such patients because OF the
resulting increase in blood sugar"
But the life of the eight volunteers
Is not one long ordeal Of mental and
physical tests. They have their other
occupations, and their recreations as
well. Yesterday. the preliminary day
when nobody was sleepy, they went
about their usual work, attending
classes and taking examinations; and
hose who are earning their way
through school reported on time at
heir respective jobs. In the evening
they all had dinner together. making
very Jolly little party.
Evening of Tests
After dinner there was d round Of
tests, and then the group went to the
theater. After the performance they
returned to the university, when the
real grind Of the evening began. For
three hours 1t was tests. tests, tests.
Then Prof Moss decided to call It
day, and they all went out for a long
ride, lasting until dawn. The sleepless
students drove we'll, Prof. Moss re-
ports, and showed no effects of their
experience, except that they displayed
4 little more caution than usual. As
students will. they sang songs.
Srtappy, lively tunes were favored;
one or two attempts at melody sug-
gesting sleep were quickly voted down.
They returned TO the laboratory when
the stars began to go to sleep.
DIR. F. A. Moss, head OF the psy
caology department at the university,
Who organized the tests, is an en-.
rhusiastic young professor who is as
<eenly awake to the practical applica.
lions of his science as he Is to it's in
telectual interest. He has made
special study of the causes of acci-
dents. and is secretary of Herbert
Hoovers committee for the investiga-
lion of accidents.
He believes in practising what he
breaches, and is keeping the 60.hour
vigil of sleeplessness as faithfully as
any of his volunteers, becoming thus
Goth experimenter and subject Of e1
pefiment
Three years ago DR.. Moss cut down
ais allowance OF sleep to 6 hours. IF
a human being can maintain full eff
niency on hours of sleep or on
less, without suffering Ill effects i'm
nlediately or later, we ought to find
out about it definitely, and not con-
tirtue to spend an unnecessary amount
Of lifetime in bed" he points out.
de figures that II a third OF the aver
age sleeping time could be cut Off
Without injury to the individual, he
could add five years of actual work
ing time to his career.
icopyriyht. 1875. by science service.1