158 THE HUMAN HEART 



In order to place before our readers a con- 

 crete idea of the amount of work done in a 

 given time by the heart, we have consulted 

 the calculations of seven great medical autho- 

 rities, and in a very brief form we append a 

 summary of results : 



Two of the number, after entering into 

 mathematical estimates, came to the conclu- 

 sion that the heart in one day of eight 

 hours does about one-quarter of the work 

 done by a . labouring man during the same 

 time, assuming that the workman works 

 honestly. (Dr. Waller.) 



Another authority calculates the work done 

 per day by a horse and the work done 

 in the same time by the human heart, and, 

 omitting the details of his calculations, he 

 finds that the work of the heart equals ^th 

 that of the horse. (Dr. Hales.) 



A fourth medical writer calculates that the 

 total work of the heart in twenty-four hours 

 is about 124 foot-tons. (Dr. Haughton.) 



Three other medical experts agree in the 

 manner of ascertaining the work of the heart, 



