Metabolism Experiment jSTo. 71. 



125 



The oxygen thermal quotients undergo marked changes from one period 

 to another. For example, between 9 and 11 p. m. it is in general very much 

 larger than between 11 p. m. and 1 a. m. owing to the difficulty of accurate 

 oxygen determination in periods in which there are differences in the degree 

 of muscular activity and apparent changes in temperature at the beginning 

 and end of the period due to difference in body position with reference to the 

 thermometers. Similar irregularities are noted in the other quotients. 



It is worthy of note that for the second period of the first day an unusually 

 high respiratory quotient is recorded. This value has no significance owing 

 to the errors already pointed out in the determination of oxygen consumption 

 for this period. The daily respiratory quotient after the first day remained 

 practically constant. 



