Investigations into the conditions governing the temperature of the bodj'. 51 



slight fall after the meal and later in the evening a slight rise just 

 as in the curves above and for the same reason. 



In all cases measurements for the 7 night hours are absent; 

 but nevertheless the curves seem to be sufficiently expressive. The 

 curves are not the same, because one day does not easily become 

 an exact copy of another, when the attention is not exclusively con- 

 centrated on this condition, but the curves 3 and 4 on fig. 8, 2 and 

 3 on fig. 9 and 1, 2 and 4 on fig. 10 show that the departures are 

 not great under ordinary conditions. 



In all cases the fundamental type is evident, and the causes of 

 the departures present are obvious. All of them tend to show 

 that the curve of temperature variations is determined 

 by work and mode of living, that the astronomical divi- 

 sion of day and night is without importance in this 

 regard, and that an inherited form is consequently out 

 of the question, a mysterious periodicity even more so. 



On fig. 6b the JüRGENSEN "погша!" curve is drawn for com- 

 parison. The latter and the day-curves shown here are not very 

 similar in appearance. Jurgensen's experimental persons stayed 

 in Europe and always in bed. But whether the disagreements are 

 explained in this or in that way, it must undoubtedly be clear that 

 a "normal" curve of variation for the rectal temperature is and 

 must be artificial and consequently without physiological interest. 



18—1 — 1910. 



4" 



