38 J- Lindhard. 



I have no means of controlling Oehler's results; but the ten- 

 dency in the series seems indisputable: falling axillary temperature 

 with falling air temperature. An exception is shown by the last 

 link of the series, which seems however to have been treated with 

 less care than the others; it shows the fewest measurements, and 

 the rectal temperature is not given. The latter appears, for the 

 rest, quite independent of the air temperature. 



In another table Oehler, besides the axillary temperature, 

 records the skin temperature taken in 5 different places; as above, 

 I omit the other skin temperatures and for comparison only quote 

 the temperature on the breast. 



Single measurements show naturally the mutual dependence of 

 the 3 series less distinctly, but on contrasting the first half of the 

 series with the second, the result is conspicuous. It is worth noticing 

 that the irregularities for the axillary temperature are not much 

 greater than those occurring in the second series. 



Lastly, Krafft^ has found differences of 0-5°— 10° in the right 

 and left axilla of the same person, a difference which cannot be 

 easily explained otherwise than by admitting the influence of the 

 outer temperature. 



Judging from all the data, I believe myself justified in maintai- 

 ning that: 



The rectal temperature is directly dependent on the heat- 

 producing processes of the body, varying with their intensity 

 concurrently with the action of the heart. The outer tempera- 

 ture may exceptionally have some effect and stasis may occasion- 

 ally work disturbingly on the result of the measurements; but 

 taken on the whole the influence of local factors on the rectal 



' Sechste Versammlung der Tuberkuloseärzte Deutschlands. 1. с. 



