1931

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taken in moderation. Actually the body can use as food
a
maximum of two fluid ounces of alcohol in 24 hours. Any excess
of this amount cannot be used up and so circulates in the body
unchanged, acting as a poison to the tissues. Even small amounts
of alcohol affect the nervous and nervo-muscular system and
exercise a detrimental effect on the powers of co-ordination which
must be kept in the highest state of efficiency to play any game
successfully. If alcohol is taken, beer or light wines are the best.
Spirits, heavy liqueurs and heavy wines and cocktails are all
injurious to training and should be avoided.
Smoking.
—The principal difficulty as regards smoking is to
keen within reasonable bounds. When going into strict training
smoking must be given up altogether. Like alcohol, it affects the
powers of co-ordination and in addition has a bad effect on the
wind." On the other hand, the moderate use of tobacco appears
to be helpful to some people. Individual susceptibility to tobacco
varies, and each one must determine for himself the amount he
may consume without harm. Some sort of daily ration equivalent
to a single figure of cigarettes is a rough guide, reducing it or
abandoning it altogether should any symptom of excess appear.
As to what form the use of tobacco should take is a question for
the individual. It should be noted, however, that the injurious
effect of tobacco varies with the nicotine content of the smoke.
.Actually the nicotine content of smoke in relation to that of the
tobacco from which it is derived is greatest in smoke from a pipe,
somewhat less in the smoke from a cigar, and least of all in the
sinoke from a cigarette.
It is interesting to note that records kept at the Army School
of Physical Training of a large number of men over a long period
prove conclusively that the non-smoker is superior in stamina to
the moderate and heavy smoker.
Exercise.
—Regular exercise is an important adjunct to physical
fitness, and the individual who wishes to keep himself in good trim
for games must keep his muscles regularly exercised. Many
people consider that the actual playing of a game is sufficient and
that nothing else is needed. To a very limited extent this is true,
but many games are one-sided and tend to employ and exercise
only certain muscles. Many games and sports cannot from their
strenuous nature be engaged in every day. To obtain the fullest
benefit from physical exercise, it must be done regularly. The
sedentary worker, who works in an office five and a half days a week
and who spends Saturday afternoon and Sunday in taking violent or
prolonged exercise, probably does himself more harm than good in
the long run, as his exercise is not regular, and by the time
Monday morning comes he is tired both mentally and physically,
instead of being refreshed and rested by his short holiday from
work. There are many ways of ensuring regular exercise, one of
them being the performance of a definite number of physical
exercises for a given period each day. This has much to recom-
mend it and is within the reach of all. Such exercise should
preferably be taken in the morning and should be done in the
open air, if possible, or at any rate near an open window where
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