62 TEMPERATURE FLUCTUATIONS IN THE HUMAN BODY. 



thermometer, with the single exception of the record for the shallow vaginal 

 thermometer between 2 p. m. and 2 h 30 m p. in. It would appear as if the 

 thermometers in the vagina had been displaced during this interval, and that 

 the shallow thermometer had slipped out of the cavity. The groin tempera- 

 ture followed with considerable regularity the temperature indicated by the 

 other thermometers, while the inequalities of the axillary temperature in the 

 early part of the experiment may be accounted for by the restless movements 

 of the subject. The great irregularities in the temperature of the mouth 

 accentuate the undesirability of this locality for such observations. 



The curves showing the records of bod3 r -temperature may be found in fig. 31. 



Experiment of February 6-7, 1911, with Mrs. B I. This experiment was 

 planned to continue for 24 hours, in order to secure the total diurnal variation. 

 The subject was lying on a couch during the whole experiment except when 

 sitting in a chair between ll h 59 m a. m. and 2 h 10 m p. m., and 5 h 24 m p. m. 

 and 1 1 h 19 m p. m. A single thermometer was inserted in the rectum at a depth 

 of 8 centimeters, and both deep and shallow thermometers in the vagina at a 

 depth of 10 centimeters and 6.5 centimeters respectively. While the sub- 

 ject lay on the couch, temperature observations were made in the right axilla 

 and in the groin. During the time the subject sat in the chair, the groin obser- 

 vations were discontinued, and the axillary temperature was taken in the left 

 axilla instead of the right. Observations of the mouth temperature were made 

 intermittently. 



At the beginning of the experiment the groin and axilla were warmed by 

 means of hot-water bottles at a temperature of 45 C. The temperature of 

 the groin reached the maximum very shortly, but the temperature of the axilla 

 required a long time to acquire constancy. An abnormal and wholly inexplica- 

 ble rise in axillary temperature was noted, beginning at 10 h 39 m a. m. When 

 the subject changed from the couch to the chair at ll h 59 m a. m.,the groin tem- 

 perature records were discontinued and the temperature was taken in the left 

 axilla instead of the right, so that the subject could use the right hand in eating. 

 Before inserting the thermometer, the left axilla was heated with a hot-water 

 bottle, at a temperature of 47 C, but gave very unsatisfactory results at first. 

 The subject was asked to readjust the thermometer at 12 h 59 m p. m., and the 

 results thereafter were much more uniform. Between l h 07 m p. m. and l h 32 m 

 p. m. she ate her dinner, and at 2 h 12 m p. m., she returned to the couch. The 

 groin and axilla were heated with hot-water bottles at a temperature of 47 C. 

 before the thermometers were inserted, and the temperature of the groin rose 

 considerably above even that of the rectum, cooling again rapidly to a constant 

 temperature. The axillary temperature also quickly attained constancy. The 

 subject was asleep between 3 h 17 m p. m. and 4 h 07 m p. m., and on waking up 

 asked for water, drinking a half glassful at 4 h 12 m p. m. While it may have 

 been a mere coincidence, all of the curves show a slight tendency to a lowering 

 of the temperature after the drinking of the cold water. At 5 h 24 m p. m. the 

 subject again changed from the couch to the chair, and the axillary temperature 

 was taken in the left axilla, while the groin records were discontinued. During 



