CHAPTER XV

BODILY CONDITIONS FOR EFFECTIVE STUDY


It is a truism to say that mental ability is affected by bodily
conditions. A common complaint of students is that they cannot study
because of a headache, or they fail in class because of loss of sleep.
So patent is the interrelation between bodily condition and study that
we cannot consider our discussion of study problems complete without
recognition of the topic. We shall group our discussions about three of
the most important physical activities, eating, sleeping and
exercising. These make up the greater part of our daily activities and
if they are properly regulated our study is likely to be effective.

FOOD.--It is generally agreed that the main function of food is to
repair the tissues of the body. Other effects are present, such as
pleasure and sociability, but its chief benefit is reparative, so we
may well regard the subject from a strictly utilitarian standpoint and
inquire how we may produce the highest efficiency from our eating. Some
of the important questions about eating are, how much to eat, what kind
of food to eat, when to eat, what are the most favorable conditions for
eating?

The quantity of food to be taken varies with the demands of the
individual appetite and the individual powers of absorption. In
general, one who is engaged in physical labor needs more, because of
increased appetite and increased waste of tissues. So a farm-hand needs
more food than a college student, whose work is mostly indoors and