116 



PHYSIOLOGY OF THE NEW-BORN INFANT. 



TABLE 19. Pulse-rate of infants during periods of approximately minimum heat-production 



in first 8 days after birth Continued. 



This discussion of the pulse-rate of new-born infants has thus far 

 dealt with the average pulse-records during the periods with either 

 maximum or minimum metabolism, irrespective of the age of the 

 infant, which varied from 1 to 7 days. Since a study of the probable 

 trend of the pulse-rate of infants during the first week of life may be 

 of particular significance, we have gathered together in table 19 the 

 pulse-rate prevailing during the periods which were selected for the 

 comparison from day to day of the minimum heat-production. (See 

 table 13.) The metabolism in these periods can be considered abso- 

 lutely minimum in but relatively few instances, but the values do repre- 

 sent the best which could be obtained from the data available for the 

 first 8 days of life. The lowest average pulse-rate, i. e., 112, was found 

 on the first day of life. For the next 4 days the pulse-rate remained 



