64 METABOLISM AND GROWTH FROM BIRTH TO PUBERTY. 



surface referred to weight for our boy subjects. This curve, which 

 represents the impressions of five members of the Laboratory staff, 

 shows that in general the relationship between the surface area and 

 weight is almost a linear one, particularly after the 8-kg. weight. In- 

 deed, it can be seen that a straight-line curve would at the higher 



Sq. m. 

 1.6 



BODY SURFACE REFERRED TO WEIGHT. 



BOYS. 



1.5 

 1.4 

 1.3 

 1.2 



1.1 



1.0 

 .9 

 .8 

 .7 

 .6 



2Tgs.4 6 8 10 12 14 18 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 40 42 



FIG. 9. Relationship between body-surface and body-weight with boys. 



weight-levels fit as well as any more complicated order of curve. The 

 correlation between the body-surface and weight is strikingly shown 

 in this chart. The widest difference for a given weight is found at 

 about the weight of 30 kg., namely, a difference of about 0.13 square 

 meter or a maximum difference of about 12 per cent. So far as rela- 

 tionship between body-weight and body-surface with boys is con- 

 cerned, therefore, it is clear that there are no abnormal fluctuations 

 in the curve at any point throughout youthful life, and if there are 

 marked changes in the configuration of the body, these must involve 

 weight as well as surface. 



In figure 10 we have plotted the measured body-surface against the 

 height of our boys. Here, although the curve representing the general 

 trend of the relationship is not a straight line, nevertheless it is reason- 

 ably regular throughout the entire age-range studied. The deviations 

 either side of the curve are somewhat greater than those found in the 

 relationship between body-surface and weight, but there is nothing to 



