32 WILDER TILESTON 



measurements. They have also devised a method for determining the sur- 

 face area from the weight and height. The formula is : 



A == W- 425 xH- 725 x71.84, 



where A = surface area, W = weight in kilograms, and H = height 

 in centimeters. They have constructed graphic curves from which 

 the surface area can be calculated at a glance, given the weight and 

 height. The two formulas give about equally good results, with an 

 average error of only 1.5 per cent as compared with actual measurements 

 of the surface area, and a maximum error of 5 per cent. The average 

 error by the Meeh formula is estimated by them at 15 per cent. 



When the surface area is calculated by one of the DuBois formulas, 

 the normal basal metabolism of the adult male is found to be 39.7 calories 

 per hour per square meter. It varies with age and sex, as is shown by 

 the following table taken from the paper by Aub and Du Bois. 



TABLE I. CALORIES PER SQUARE METER PER HOUR 

 ( HEIGHT- WEIGHT FORMULA) 



Age Males Females 



12-14 49.9" 



14-16 46 43 



16-18 43 40 



18-20 41 38 



20-30 39.5 37 



30-40 39.5 36.5 



40-50 38*5 36 



50-60 37.5 35 



60-70 36.5 34 



70-80 35.5 33 



* This figure does not appear in the original table, and was taken from DuBois' 

 article, Arch. Int. Med., 1916, xvii, 887-901. 



The basal metabolism in children has not been studied in enough 

 cases to establish averages, but from the work already done it is apparent 

 that it is low in early infancy (30 calories) rising rapidly during the 

 first year to about 50, and reaching a maximum of 55 to 60 Cal. per sq. m. 

 per hour at some time between the ages of 1 and 2 years. (According to 

 Benedict and Talbot, the calories per square meter vary considerably in 

 young children, but more constant curves are obtained by calculating the 

 calories per kilo body weight.) After this there is a gradual fall with a 

 temporary rise just before puberty. As may be seen in the table, the basal 

 metabolism falls gradually with advancing years, and is about 7 per cent 

 lower in women than in men. 



Harris and Benedict have recently made a study of the basal metab- 

 olism of a large number of normal persons, and have devised formulas 

 by which the normal metabolism of adults may be closely predicted, 

 given the age, sex, weight, and stature. They publish multiple prediction 

 tables giving the expected metabolism for any adult according to these data. 



