204 A BIOMETRIC STUDY OF BASAL METABOLISM IN MAN. 



tion per unit of body-weight or body-surface, we note that in the 72 

 men constituting the Gephart and Du Bois selection the average heat- 

 production is 25.8 calories per kilogram of body-weight, in the 64 other 

 men it is 25.6 calories, while for the total 136 men it is 25.7 calories. 

 In the 68 original women it is 25.4 calories, in the 35 supplementary 

 women it is 22.7 calories per kilogram, while in the whole series of 

 103 women it is 24.5 calories. 



On the basis of body-surface area the average heat-productions per 

 square meter as estimated by the Meeh formula are 832 calories in the 

 Gephart and Du Bois selection, 828 calories in the 64 men not included 

 in the Gephart and Du Bois selection, and 830 calories in the whole 

 series of 136 men. The comparable values for the women are 772 

 calories for the 68 original women, 715 calories for the 35 supplementary 

 women, and 753 calories for the whole series of 103 women. 



With the measurement of body-surface area furnished by the 

 height-weight chart we find average heat-productions per square meter 

 of body-surface area of 927 calories for the Gephart and Du Bois 

 selection, 924 calories for the 64 other men, and 925 calories for the 

 whole series of men. For women the values are 865 calories for the 

 68 original women, 820 calories for the 35 supplementary women, and 

 850 calories for the whole series. 



If we extend the comparison to the 8 men and 7 women studied 

 by Palmer, Means, and Gamble, 10 we find that the average daily heat- 

 production of men is 1657.4 calories, whereas in women it is 1468.7 

 calories. In men the average heat-production per kilogram of body- 

 weight for a 24-hour period is 23.36 calories, whereas in women it is 

 21.77 calories. Expressing heat-production in calories per square 

 meter of body-surface per 24 hours we find that the results for men and 

 women stand in the ratio 784 : 718 calories when surface is estimated 

 by the Meeh formula and in the ratio 941 : 919 calories when surface 

 is estimated by the Du Bois method. These results, due to the experi- 

 ence of other investigators, will be tested by other criteria on p. 217, 

 and shown to be in full accord with our own findings throughout. 



It is now desirable to look at the evidence from a quite different 

 angle. Instead of depending upon average heat-production or average 

 heat-production per unit of body-weight or body-surface for a basis 

 of comparison of men and women, we may inquire what amount of 

 change in heat-production would be associated with a variation of a 

 definite amount from the mean body-weight or the mean body-surface 

 in the two sexes. If women show a smaller change in heat-production 

 associated with a variation of the same amount in a physical dimension 

 we must conclude that metabolism is less in women than in men. If we 

 consider these variations in quantity of heat set free per unit of body- 



10 Palmer, Means, and Gamble, Journ. Biol. Chem., 1914, 19, p. 239; Means, ibid., 1915, 21, p. 263. 



