APPARATUS AND METHODS USED IN THIS RESEARCH. 



47 



this ideal test, we had to content ourselves with alcohol check tests of 

 the following character: 



A small lamp, which was constructed from a 100 c.c. Erlenmeyer 

 flask and partially filled with alcohol, was ignited and placed inside 

 the respiration chamber. After a preliminary period of several minutes 

 the air-current was deflected to the second set of purifiers, the proper 

 readings taken, and several periods of 30 to 45 minutes each were 

 carried out. Irrespective of the absolute amount of carbon dioxide 

 absorbed by the soda lime or the total amount of oxygen admitted 

 from the cylinder or measured by a meter, the relation between these 

 two should be that obtaining in the perfect combustion of alcohol by 

 oxygen. The respiratory quotient of alcohol, which can readily be 

 computed, is found to be 0.666. Consequently the relationship between 

 the amount of carbon dioxide absorbed and the amount of oxygen 

 delivered through the meter or from the weighed cylinder was deter- 

 mined and if this was found to be approximately 0.666, it was assumed 

 that the apparatus was functionating perfectly. As a matter of fact, 

 such an alcohol check test was made usually once a week throughout the 

 whole experimental year with values varying but little from the theo- 

 retical amount. 



Deferring for the moment the description of the method of calcula- 

 tion, we give in table 16 the respiratory quotient for every alcohol check 

 test carried out with this apparatus, the results being, for the most part, 

 within the limits of experimental error. 



Table 16. — Respiratory quotients obtained in alcohol check experiments with the respiration 



apparatus for infants. 



COMPLETE SHORT-PERIOD ALCOHOL CHECK TESTS. 



Although the observations on infants reported in this publication 

 were based upon the accuracy of alcohol check tests involving only the 

 determination of the respiratory quotient, it is desirable to record at 

 this point the development of a method which provided for the testing 



