262 



Basal Metabolism in Men 



TABLE IV. 



Comparison of Basal Metabolism Constants Corrected and Uncorrected J 



Age. 



2. The Time Factor in the Variation of the Metabolism of the 



Individual. 



In the preceding section we dealt with the problem of the van! 

 bility within the individual on the basis of data for a few mij 

 upon whom more extensive series of measurements had bei 

 made. By the application of other methods it is possible to pi ii 

 the analysis somewhat farther. 



While the ultimate purpose of studies of variation in the metr-j 

 olism constants of the same individual should be to detenu* 

 something of the proximate causes underlying these variatio , 

 it is worth while to obtain some general idea of the amount f 

 variation which may be expected to occur in the individual subj t 

 with a lapse of time. 9 



9 In the first discussion of this subject (Benedict, 5 p. 292) the sirce 

 method of range of variation in metabolism led to the following conclusi : 

 &quot;A general inspection of the data will show that, as a rule, the greai t 

 variations were found with the subjects studied over the longest perk ;. 

 While it is hardly correct to obtain an average value for the oxygen consul - 

 tion for so many different individuals with such wide differences in the t fi 

 covered by the experiments, yet such a value has been found and shows t t 

 on the basis of these observations there may be an average variatior f 

 13.9 per cent in the basal metabolism, when measured in the post-absorpi e 

 condition and with complete muscular repose, during a period of two y( s 

 or, in the majority of cases, considerably less. With no attempt to anal e 

 the causes of these differences, it is sufficient here simply to call attenln 

 to their magnitude.&quot; 



