24 J- Lindhard. 



the changes of temperature in the mouth and on the forehead with 

 varying positions of the body, as shown below, seems to me mainly 

 suggestive of stasis. The mucous membrane of the rectum is very 

 vascular and the venous side of the circulation especially presents 

 peculiar characteristics; it is well-known that the very complex net- 

 work of large and much anastomosing A^eins, which forms the Plexus 

 hæmorrhoidalis, leads very readily to stasis; at the same time the 

 conditions for measuring the temperature are exceedingly favourable, 

 as the thermometer is completely and exactly surrounded by the 

 very vascular tissues and the local loss of heat is slight. Thus, the 

 anatomical conditions for stasis are always present, as also the phy- 

 siological whenever one changes to a resting position after energetic 

 exercise, in less degree in any standing and certain sitting positions. 

 On trying to produce stasis consciously, the temperature will be 

 found to be a few tenths lower in a reclining than in a standing 

 position. Lastly, some of the above temperatures measured at 

 different heights in the rectum, may probably be explained on these 

 suppositions. 



Without venturing to express any definite opinion, I consider 

 it probable that the peculiar curve obtained by continued measure- 

 ments of the rectal temperature in the st and r positions, is due 

 to stasis in the Plexus hæmorrhoidalis, that the static factor conseals 

 the eventual changes in temperature owing to the contraction of 

 the arteries, and that the observers who have found a lower temper- 

 ature in the r than in the st position, have only taken a single 

 measurement without doing justice to the static factor. 



The mouth temperature also varies with changes of position; 

 in the following example it was measured alternately in the sitting 

 (s) and recumbent (r) position. The variations of the mouth temper- 

 ature in this series are typical. 



2-Vi2 07 



If the temperature falls or rises during the course of the mea- 

 surements, the type becomes less conspicuous but is easily recognised 

 on a closer examination of the figures. 



