62 METABOLISM AND GROWTH FROM BIRTH TO PUBERTY. 



measurements are lacking. We believe, however, from our com- 

 parison of the areas by the two methods for the 14 boys and 19 girls 

 under 6.27 kg. in weight, that for children at this lower weight-range 

 the use of our constants gives the areas with a high degree of probability 

 In the last column of the tables is indicated the percentage difference 

 between the body-surface by the Du Bois linear formula as the base- 

 line, and that computed by our constants. In examining the 

 tables, it is important to note that the value of K changes with the 

 sex and with the various weights, as indicated in table 14 given 

 above. 



From tables 12 and 13 it can be seen that the elaborate series of 

 Du Bois measurements are no longer necessary in computing the sur- 

 face areas of children certainly not children approximating normal 

 form but one can compute the area, using the factors as given in 

 table 14. For the sake of convenience we have felt it desirable to 

 give a table for boys and girls separately, showing the surface areas 

 based upon our several factors for each increasing kilogram in weight 

 from 3 kg. to 40 kg. From this table the interpolations for fractions 

 of kilograms are readily obtained. While by no means certain of the 

 importance of the surface area, particularly in relation to metabolism 

 measurements, we still deem it desirable to have a tabular method 

 for securing rapidly the body-surface of children based upon the 

 admirable linear formula of Du Bois. These surface areas, as pre- 

 sented in table 15, are primarily of significance as purely physical 

 measurements. 



TABLE 15. Estimated body-surfaces for body-weights from 3 to 40 kilograms. 



1 Surfaces estimated, using formula K^w 2 ; for values of K at the different weight-ranges, see 

 table 14. 



