Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 81.djvu/344

338 one series of data and some another. In the item of "try outs" six institutions reported on 210 men; in the item of "smokers or nonsmokers" fourteen institutions reported on 248 men; in the item of "weight" fourteen institutions reported on 237 men; six institutions reported 108 men with respect to "lung capacity"; while fourteen institutions reported on 182 men in the item of "average scholarship mark." In each of the items following the number of men involved will be designated and also the number of institutions from which they are reported.

As just stated, six institutions furnished data relating to the "try outs." A total of 210 men contested for positions on the first teams; of this number 93 were smokers and 117 were non-smokers. Of those who were successful 31 were smokers and 77 were non-smokers. The following tabulation will make this matter clear.

It will be observed that only half as many smokers were successful as non-smokers. At first thought this point may appear to be at variance with the findings of Dr. Meylan at Columbia University. Under the title "The Effects of Smoking on College Students" published in this magazine for August, 1910, Dr. Meylan makes the statement "that 41 per cent, of the smokers and only 34 per cent, of the non-smokers achieved success in varsity athletics." This statement of course tells nothing unless the exact number of smokers and non-smokers who actually tried for places in the "varsity athletics" be given. It may be that only a very small percentage of the non-smokers contested for positions and that practically all who did so were successful, while on the other hand that a much larger percentage of the smokers made the effort and a comparatively few were successful. In such a case the actual number of successful smokers might be larger than that of the non-smokers, and at the same time the percentage of the successful smoking contestants might be very much smaller than that of the nonsmoking contestants. Consider the following case. Suppose an institution in which there are 400 men, 200 smokers and 200 non-smokers. Suppose that 150 of the smokers contest for positions and that 33.3 per cent. (50 men) are successful. Suppose further that only 50 of the non-smokers contest for positions and that 66.6 per cent. (33 men) are successful. In this case 25 per cent, of the total number of smokers