1 16> 'RESPIRATORY! EXCHANGE OF ANIMALS AND MAN 



Recently a very important paper on infant metabolism has been 

 published by Benedict and Talbot [1914]. They have determined 

 the standard metabolism of 60 children aged between 15 hours and 

 17 months, and calculated the results on the basis both of weight and 

 of surface (using three different formulae). Their results are seemingly 

 very irregular as shown by the charts, figs. 33 and 34, 1 but when the 



HEAT PER KILOGRAM OF BODY-WEIGHT PER 24 HOURS 



40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 

 FIG. 33. From " Amer. Journ. Diseases of Children," 1914, 8, 42 (Benedict and Talbot). 



ages of the infants are taken into account correlations of some interest 

 can be established. In Table XXVII the material available in Hassel- 

 balch's, Benedict and Talbot's, and Magnus-Levy and Falk's investiga- 

 tions has been utilized to calculate the average standard metabolism 

 (production of heat per square metre per minute) for individuals 



1 Benedict and Talbot calculate standard metabolism per 24 hours. In the opinion of 

 the writer the 24-hour basis ought to be reserved for determinations of " normal " metabolism 

 for comparisons with food requirements, etc., while i-hour or i-minute units are better suited 

 for standard conditions, which are seldom maintained or studied over periods of greater 

 length. 



