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530 ILLUSTRATED WORLD
"A pleasant tingling sensation is felt there is external pressure on the abdom­
in the stomach," he reports. "One feels inal muscles, the stomach contractions—
perfectly at ease, but the thoughts tend that is, hunger pangs—are very notice­
to revert to the dinner table. At first ably abated. This is due in part to the
we were not able to say what this sen­ distraction of attention from the stomach
sation was like, although it was a famil­ to pressure on the other organs of the
iar one. After paying close attention to abdomen, and in part to the fact that the
the sensation experienced at meals just sensation of abdominal pressure leads to
after a few mouthfuls of good food or a feeling of satiety. Of course, true
drink had been swallowed, we became satiety comes from a feeling of internal
convinced that the two sensations are pressure outward. The feeling of com­
very much alike, if not point for point pression resulting from the tightness of
identical.
the belt over the abdomen leads in a
Every one has read tales of ship­ feeble way to the same feeling of tightwreck
and the horrors of starvation, ness resulting from an old-fashioned
with the increasingly intense and raven­ gorge of rich food.
ous desire for food. Dr. Carlson and one Dr. Carlson has found that smoking
of his assistants voluntarily have under­ inhibits hunger pangs to a marked exgone
periods of starvation of five days' tent. This is particularly true of the
duration to determine accurately what people who are not habitual smokers.
takes place. It is true, there is a slight Habitual smokers, however, must turn
increase throughout the starvation period from mild cigars or cigarettes to very
of the hunger contractions. The records strong cigars or pipes before the hunger
of these experiments show this to be the contractions, as recorded by the balloon
case. But after the first three days the method, are diminished. This is Nature's
desire for food diminishes, and some­ way of insisting that her needs be met.
times turns to revulsion at the sight of In the same way, it has been found
edibles! All discomfort from the ex­ that exercise, prolonged cold baths and
periment disappeared after the first meal the like, increase hunger, although they
following the fasting period, and from do not, necessarily, increase the hunger
the second day thereafter, Dr. Carlson contractions, as Dr. Carlson points out.
states that he felt as though he had had They do, however, increase the nervous
"a pleasant month's vacation in the excitability of the individual, so that he
mountains."
becomes more acutely conscious of the
"Civilized man has traveled far from hunger "pangs" which follow the typical
the conditions of life among wild ani­ hunger contractions.
mals and primitive man," he goes on to Tests were made on men, who were
say, "where periods of starvation were kept standing for several hours, on
not uncommon. Occasional periods of others immediately before and after
starvation, say once or twice a year, in violent tennis games or before and after
the case of healthy adult persons, may six- to twelve-mile walks. They were
not only add to the joy of life, but to the also made on dogs, who were kept run­
length of life."
ning in a treadmill while the experi­
With a definite measurable inaex as to ments were being performed. It was
the strength of hunger, it is possible ac­ found that during' the violent work itself,
curately to determine the results of vari­ the hunger contractions were very much
ous external factors on the hunger sen­ inhibited, but that after the cessation of
sation. For instance, the old cure of the period of labor, the contractions re­
tightening one's belt during cases of exturned in more intense form than ever—
treme hunger, can be tested out abso­ the worn-out muscle cells evidently telelutely.
That is what Dr. Carlson has graphing" nerve impulses for quick
done. He finds that in subjects where hunger contractions.