BASAL KATABOLISM. 



107 



sented by each point, it was observed that there was a distinct tendency 

 for the shorter infants to have a lower heat-production per square meter 

 of body-surface than the heat-production of the longer infants, and 

 this apparent influence of the length upon the values led us to study 

 the problem critically. The heat-production per square meter of body- 

 surface per 24 hours was therefore divided by the total length of the 

 infant an admittedly somewhat empirical procedure and the result- 

 ing values were plotted in a chart which is shown in figure 10. Owing 

 to the profound disturbances in heat regulation and the variation in 

 the heat-production values on the first day, only those subjects between 

 1^ and 6 days of age are included in this chart. Even with these 

 omissions we have the results from 48 infants which are strictly com- 

 parable. 



1 1.0 



14.0 



14.5 



11.5 12.0 12.5 T 13.0 13.5 



Cals. per Sq. Meter per 24 Mrs. per Cm. of Length 



FIG. 10. Minimum heat-production of new-born infants per square meter per 2-i hours, 

 computed per centimeter of length for infants between 1 f and 6 days old. The 

 arrow indicates 12.65 calories. 



Nearly all of the points shown in this chart lie between 11.9 calories 

 and 13.4 calories, there being but 3 points below 11.9 calories and only 

 5 points above 13.4 calories. The 40 points which lie between these 

 values show an average heat-production of 12.65 calories per square 

 meter of body-surface per centimeter of length. The plus or minus 

 variation from this value is, accordingly, about 6 per cent for the 40 

 infants. It is clear, therefore, that in the 5 days following the first 24 

 hours of post-natal life, we have a close approximation to constancy 

 in the metabolism of these new-born infants, for while we may reason- 



