50 



TEMPERATURE FLUCTUATIONS IN THE HUMAN BODY. 



axilla and the skin thermometer were removed; also, the rectal thermometer 

 and the vaginal thermometer were each supposedly withdrawn 2 centimeters. 

 At this time, however, the vaginal thermometer slipped out, causing a discrep- 

 ancy in the records. At 4 h 09 m p. m. both the rectal thermometer and the 

 vaginal thermometer were returned to their original positions, without disturb- 

 ing the left axilla, and from this time on the curves agree very satisfactorily. 



The results of the temperature measurements are given in fig. 18, the curves 

 being marked as usual. 



Experiment of January 11, 1911, with J. J. C. This experiment was divided 

 into three parts in order to study the rectal gradient, the effect of warming the 

 axilla previous to inserting the thermometer also being studied. Two ther- 

 mometers were used in the rectum, and one in each axilla. In the first part of 

 the experiment, the deep thermometer was inserted in the rectum to the depth 

 of 7 centimeters, and the shallow thermometer to the depth of 4 centimeters; in 

 the second part, the insertions were 5.5 centimeters and 2.5 centimeters respec- 

 tively; and in the last part, 3.75 centimeters and 0.75 centimeter. 



37.2C 



370 



36.8 



36.6 



36A 



36.2 



2.20 PM. 2.40 



300 



3.20 



3.40 



4.00 



4.20 



4.40 



5.00 



Fig. 19. Temperature curves for experiment of January 11, 1911, with J. J. C. 



Previous to the first part of the experiment, a hot-water bottle, at a tempera- 

 ture of 40 C, was placed in the left axilla for 5 minutes, the thermometer 

 being inserted in the right axilla, as usual without preheating. The effect of 

 this preheating is shown by the fact that the curve for the left axilla rose more 

 abruptly than that for the right. In the second part of the experiment, the 

 conditions were reversed, a hot-water bottle with a temperature of 45 C. 

 being used in the right axilla, but none in the left. Without doubt the tempera- 

 ture of the water used was too high, as the curve for the right axilla did not 

 fall to the temperature level of the body for some time. In the third part of 

 the experiment, the conditions of the first part were duplicated, the hot- 

 water bottle at a temperature of 40 C. being placed in the left axilla, and the 

 thermometer inserted in the right axilla without preheating the cavity. The 

 same tendency to an abrupt rise in the curve for the left axilla was again noted, 

 although it was not so pronounced as in the first part of the experiment. The 

 curves for the rectal thermometers show the usual fall in temperature at the 

 beginning of the experiment. It should be noted that the curves for the deep 



