METABOLISM AND GROWTH FROM BIRTH TO PUBERTY. 



between the maximum metabolism and the high average rectal tem- 

 perature. 



The values obtained with girls are somewhat better distributed for 

 the different ages than those with the boys. These range from a 

 minimum of 98.3 F. for girls on the first day of life, to a maximum of 

 99.5 F. at 11 months and 1| years of age. Here again we find a rela- 

 tively low temperature in the first few weeks of life with a subsequent 

 rise and a high period from 11 months to 2 years of age. Thereafter 

 the temperatures with girls begin to fall and subsequent to 3| years 

 are below 99 F. In this respect, therefore, the picture exhibited by 

 the average temperature values for girls confirms in a striking manner 

 that noted for boys. Here, also, the maximum level in the body tem- 

 perature, i. e., from 11 months to 2 years, corresponds to the maximum 

 level for the metabolism, which will be subsequently noted. No pro- 

 nounced sex differentiation in the values for boys and girls is apparent 

 from these two groups of data. 



While it seemed inadvisable to publish the individual records of the 

 body temperature, the data have been carefully compared to note the 

 differences, if any, between the records at the beginning and end of the 

 experiment. The influence of muscular activity and, in some cases, 

 that of food obtain in these measurements. For the experiments the 

 child was placed in the chamber and instructed to remain quiet. No 

 observations were made until this quiet condition had been secured. 

 During the experiment of an hour or more, and with conditions of 

 reasonably complete muscular repose and frequently sleep, there would 

 normally be a definite fall in temperature. On the other hand, the 

 experiments were at times continued until the child awoke or became 

 restless; this activity would make it necessary to discontinue the 

 experiment, since the main object was a study of the basal metabolism. 

 Under these conditions, the activity at the end of the experiment 

 would tend to increase the body temperature and the second record 

 would thus be higher. 



A study of all the experiments in which records were obtained at 

 the beginning and end shows that in the 189 experiments with boys 

 used in the minimum-metabolism table (see table 27, page 116), there 

 was no rise or fall in 19 experiments, an average rise of 0.55 F. in 

 52 cases, and an average fall of 0.71 F. in 118 cases. Thus, with the 

 boys, 10 per cent of these 189 experiments showed no change in body 

 temperature, 27.5 per cent showed a rise, and 62.5 per cent a fall, 

 the range in variation being from +0.55 F. to -0.71 F. In the 214 

 experiments with girls used in the minimum-metabolism table (see 

 table 28, page 120), there was no change in temperature in 24 experi- 

 ments, an average rise of 0.49 F. in 51 experiments, and an average 

 fall of 0.71 F. in 139 experiments. In these experiments with girls, 

 therefore, there was no change in 11.2 per cent, a rise in 23.8 per 



