244 



Metabolism of Healthy Man. 



for the muscles to hold it in this position. In these experiments the subjects 

 were by no means as careful to remain in an absolutely rigid, fixed position as 

 could be desired. On the other hand, they did not move about materially and 

 the results may be taken as indicative of the metabolism when standing under 

 ordinary conditions. There was, of course, a frequent shifting of weight from 

 one foot to the other and now and then a slight movement of the feet, but on 

 the whole the subjects remained quietly standing. 



Working with the respiration chamber in Stockholm, Widhmd 1 found that 

 there was no increase in the carbon dioxide (the only factor measured) when 

 standing in an easy position. If the muscles were tense he found that there 

 was an increase. Obviously experiments of this kind involve the training of 

 the subject to adjust himself in the best position for making the comparison 

 and certainly the positions held by Widhmd would not be normally considered 

 as standing. It is conceivable that the balance may be so carefully adjusted 

 and possibly the shoulders slightly braced so as to simply involve the work of 

 supporting the weight of the body on the lower muscles of the legs and the 

 muscles of the trunk. This would involve not much more work than simple 

 balancing. 



Table 102. Metabolism in experiments while sitting compared with metabolism 



while standing. 



[Amounts per hour.] 



Subject. 



A. H. M. 

 A. H. M. 



A. L. L.. 

 H. R. D.. 



B. F. D.. 



Average 



A. H. M.. 

 A. H. M.. 



A. L. L... 

 H. R. D... 



B. F. D... 



Average 



Metabolism. 



(a) 



Sit- 

 ting-. 



Grams. 



Water vaporized 27.5 



.Do 25.6 



.Do 27.8 



.Do 25.4 



.Do 40.4 



Carbon dioxide eliminated 



Do 



Do 



Do 



Do 



A. H. M Oxygen absorbed. 



A. H. M Do 



A. L. L Do 



H. R. D Do 



B. F. D Do 



25.5 

 23.1 

 24.5 

 27.5 

 27 2 



19.3 

 21.5 

 21.7 

 21.0 

 25.5 



Average 



A. H. M. 

 A. H. M. 



A. L. L.. 

 H. R. D.. 



B. F. D.. 



Average 



Heat produced. 



Do 



Do 



Do 



Do 



Gals. 

 73.7 

 72.3 



73.7 

 73.0 

 97.2 



1 Widlund, Skand. Archiv f. Physiol., 1905, 17, p. 290. 



