302 CARNEGIE INSTITUTION OF WASHINGTON. 



temperatures, showed several important points which needed further 

 experimental evidence, and advantage was taken of the installation 

 at the New York Zoological Park of supplementing the earlier data. 

 These observations were made by Mr. E. L. Fox during the academic 

 year 1920-21. The entire apparatus has now been removed and it is 

 with regret that we announce the conclusion of this most ideal coopera- 

 tive investigation. 



PUBLICATIONS. 



The following publications have been issued during the present year : 



(1) Metabolism and growth from birth to puberty. Francis G. Benedict and Fritz B. 



Talbot. Carnegie Inst. Wash. Pub. No. 302 (1920). 



From 200 to 300 children of both sexes were studied at the Massachusetts 

 Wet-Nurse Directory and at the New England Home for Little Wanderers, 

 with carefully tested and approved apparatus. In this report of the results 

 considerable stress is laid upon the normality of these children, as indicated 

 by the weight-to-age, height-to-age, and weight-to-height ratios. For com- 

 parison a large number of boys and girls in private schools were also measured. 

 These comparisons throw most interesting light upon school life as affecting 

 the growth factors. Pulse-rate and rectal temperature were secured for most 

 of our intensively studied children and form the basis of a consideration of 

 normal values. Naturally, the major part of the research dealt with the 

 measured basal metabolism as affected by growth and age. Special treat- 

 ment is given the relationship between the heat-production per unit of weight 

 and that per unit of surface-area. The influence of sex, especially in the 

 prepubescent stage, is considered. Finally, several methods for the predic- 

 tion of the basal metabolism of children are discussed, and estimates given as 

 to the probable total 24-hour requirements. Of general interest is the con- 

 clusion that, aside from digestive derangements, it is practically impossible 

 to overfeed the growing child. 



(2) A clinical apparatus for measuring basal metabolism. Francis G. Benedict and Warren 



E. ColUns. Boston Med. and Surg. Journ., vol. 183, p. 449 (1920). 



The great obstacle to studies of respiratory exchange has been the necessity 

 for a complete equipment for gas analysis. To avoid this, a respiration appa- 

 ratus was designed in the Nutrition Laboratory, by means of which, without 

 gas analysis, the oxygen consumption could be read directly from the contrac- 

 tion in the volume of a spirometer bell, and the carbon-dioxide production 

 could be obtained by weighing certain bottles. This apparatus, while designed 

 to be portable, proved rather cumbersome and, to fill urgent clinical needs 

 for a strictly portable type, the original form of the portable respiration appa- 

 ratus has been somewhat modified, being reduced in weight, provided with 

 support and stand, and all parts adjusted so as to be more or less collapsi- 

 ble and thus occupy minimum space and facilitate transportation. With this 

 apparatus the oxygen consumption of patients may be studied in the cus- 

 tomary 10 to 15 minute periods with an accuracy fully equal to other stand- 

 ard methods of studying respiratory exchange. A simple method of timing 

 the readings of the position of the spirometer bell eliminates the use of stop- 

 watches. To compare the metabolism as measured on the new portable 

 apparatus with that measured on the old, three series of tests were made on 

 two different subjects with widely varying basal oxygen requirements, and 

 the comparison showed a most satisfactory agreement between the two forms 

 of apparatus. 



