METABOLISM AS AFFECTED BY GROWTH. 



155 



though the general trend seems to be established with reasonable 

 clearness. The correlation between the calories per kilogram and the 

 body-weight is not, therefore, a very striking one. While it is suf- 

 ficient to indicate a low metabolism at the early weights, with a rise 

 to a maximum at about 8 kg., so far as the individual is concerned 

 one can not predict at the weight range of 6 to 8 kg. whether the 

 metabolism will be 43 or 70 calories per kilogram. After 18 kg. there 

 seems to be a reasonable degree of compactness in the grouping of the 

 individual points. 



Cals. 



CALORIES PER KILO. REFERRED TO WEIGHT. 



GIRLS. 



FIG. 36. Basal heat production of girls per kilogram of body-weight per 24 hours 



referred to weight. 



Points inclosed in squares signify puberty established. For No. 239 compare point inclosed in 

 diamond (prepubescence) with point inclosed in square at 39.2 kg. (puberty). 



At the same weights, very great differences in metabolism are noted 

 in both figures 35 and 36, even with the unit here employed, namely, 

 the calories per kilogram of body-weight. It is, however, clearly 

 established from both curves that the metabolic activity per unit of 

 weight is very much greater at the lower weights than at the higher. 

 This is in full conformity with the experience with adults, the heavy 

 individuals having a lower heat production per kilogram of body- 

 weight than the light men and women. A popular interpretation of 



