124 A BIOMETRIC STUDY OF BASAL METABOLISM IN MAN. 



practically unchanged, there can be little doubt that there is a slight 

 but definite relationship between these two variables in the range of 

 age covered by our data for adults. Pulse-rate decreases slightly with 

 advancing years. This decrease is not directly due to any change in 

 stature or weight. 



As far as we are aware the only correlations available from the 

 literature are those provided by Whiting. 13 



TABLE 44. Correlation between age and pulse-rate and partial correlation between age and 

 pulse-rate for constant stature and constant body-weight. 



For age and pulse-rate in 500 criminals examined by Goring the 

 correlations deduced by \Vhiting are: 



For age and pulse r (lp = +0.121 0.022 



For age and pulse with temperature constant t r ap = +0.174 0.022 



For age and pulse with respiration constant r r ap = +0.117 0.022 



For age and pulse with stature constant s r ap = +0.124 0.022 



For age and pulse with weight constant ?'/> = +0.107 0.022 



For age and pulse with both weight and stature constant ,,- s ''ap = +0.097 0.022 



These values, both the gross correlation between age and pulse-rate 

 and the correlation corrected for various other phj^sical and physio- 

 logical characters, are low but consistently positive throughout. Thus 

 they indicate that pulse-rate increases with age instead of decreasing 

 as in our series. This contradictory result may possibly be due to the 

 essentially different conditions under which the rates were measured. 

 Our determinations were made with the subject lying down and at 

 complete muscular repose in the post-absorptive state; they, therefore, 

 probably represent the minimum or basal pulse-rate for individuals in 

 their state of nutrition. Goring's countings were made with the patient 

 sitting in his cell after early dinner, either idle, reading, or writing. The 



13 Whiting, Biometrika, 1915, 11, pp. 8-19. 



