56 



TEMPERATURE FLUCTUATIONS IN THE HUMAN BODY. 



Experiment of January 20, 1911, with C. H. H. In this experiment the 

 subject crossed his arms on his chest, and one thermometer was placed between 

 the lower arm and the chest, and another at the point where the arms crossed. 

 In addition, two thermometers were used in the rectum, and one in each of 

 the axillas, 6 thermometers in all being used. The thermal junctions were 

 kept in position in the usual way by bandages. The locations between the 

 crossed arms, and between the arm and the chest are particularly unfavorable 

 for accurate records of body-temperature, as it is difficult to secure a perfect 



closure. The curves, however, seem 



37.0 C 



36.8 



36.6 



36.4- 



36.2 



36.0 



35.8 



35.6 



354 



2.00 PM 



4.00 



to follow one another very fairly, 

 this doubtless being due to the care 

 exercised by the subject not to dis- 

 place the thermometers. No hot- 

 water bottles were used for preheat- 

 ing any of the cavities, and conse- 

 quently the length of time required 

 for the different parts to reach equi- 

 librium is very well shown by the 

 rise in the temperature curve at the 

 beginning of the experiment. The 

 usual initial fall of the deep and the 

 shallow rectal temperatures is shown 

 in this experiment. Between 3 h 17 m 

 p. m. and 3 h 22 m p. m., the legs were 

 uncovered in an attempt to produce 

 a lowering of the temperature by 

 exposing the skin surface, but this 

 was without appreciable effect. 

 The records of the measurements 

 are given in fig. 26, the curves being marked as usual. The curve for the 

 thermometer between the arm and the chest is designated by Si and the curve 

 for the thermometer at the point where the arms crossed by S 2 . 



Experiment of January 23, 1911, with C. H. H. In this experiment the 

 deep and shallow rectal thermometers were used to give a base line for com- 

 parison with the records of thermometers inserted in the right and the left 

 axillas between the crossed arms, as in the previous experiment, and in the 

 mouth. The thermometers in the rectum were inserted 12 centimeters and 

 8.5 centimeters respectively. The subject lay on a couch on his right side, 

 the thermometers in the axillas being held in position by bandages as usual. 

 At 10 h 08 m a.m., the subject became uncomfortable, and lay on his back 

 instead of on his right side. Between 10 h 22 m a.m. and 10 h 27 m a.m., the legs 

 were uncovered to find if exposure would lower the temperature. As a matter 

 of fact, the curves indicate a slight rise in temperature instead of a fall. The 

 temperature in the left axilla quite closely parallels that in both the rectum 

 and the mouth. The abnormal course of the temperature in the right axilla 



Fig. 26. Temperature curves for experiment of Jan. 20, 1911, 

 withC. H. H.; 3.17 p.m. to 3.22p.m., body surface exposed. 



