386 TEMPERATURE-TOPOGRAPHY. 



The skin overlying muscles is warmer than that covering bones and tendons. 

 The cutaneous temperature is somewhat lower in the aged, while in children it 

 ranges between 25 and 29 C. 



The skin of the cranial vault fcas a higher temperature in the frontal and 

 parietal regions than in the occipital region. Further, the left side is warmer than 

 the right. The temperature of the skin is increased by dyspnea. 



v. Liebermeister employs the following method in taking the temperature of 

 free cutaneous surfaces : The bulb of the thermometer is heated to a point slightly 

 above that of the temperature expected. Then the fall of the column of mercury 

 is observed as the instrument is held in the air, and then at the apparently appro- 

 priate moment the bulb is applied to the surface of the skin. If the skin has the 

 same temperature as the bulb, the mercury must remain stationary for a time. 

 For the measurement of the cutaneous temperature, it is useful to employ a spe- 

 cially constructed thermometer with a flat vessel. 



The temperature of the cavities of the body : 



Cavity of the mouth beneath the tongue 37- I 9 C. 



Rectum 38.01 C. 



Vagina . . 38.03 C. 



The temperature of the uterus is somewhat higher, while 



that of the cervical canal is somewhat lower. 

 Urine 37.3oC. 



The temperature of the stomach falls during the process of digestion. 

 Cold rectal injections (11 C.) rapidly lower the temperature of the 

 stomach i C. 



The temperature of the blood is on the average 39 C. In the internal 

 portions of the body venous blood is warmer than arterial blood, while 

 the reverse condition prevails in the peripheral portions. 



Blood of the right heart 38.8 C. ] 



Blood of the left heart 38.6 C. [ P1 , R A 



Blood of the aorta 38.7 C. [Claude Bernard. 



Blood of the hepatic veins 39-7 C. J 



Blood of the superior vena cava 36.78 C. 1 



Blood of the inferior vena cava 38.11 C. \ G. v. Liebig. 



Blood of the crural vein 37.20 C. J 



The lower temperature of the blood in the left heart is due to the fact that 

 the blood is cooled in the lungs in the process of respiration. According to Heiden- 

 hain and Korner the temperature of the right heart is somewhat higher because 

 it lies upon the warm liver, while the left heart is surrounded by the air-containing 

 lung. This fact, observed by Malgaigne in 1832 and by Berger and G. v. Liebig, 

 is disputed by others, who attribute the somewhat higher temperature of the left 

 heart to the fact that more active processes of combustion take place in arterial 

 blood and that heat is generated in the formation of oxyhemoglobin. In adjacent 

 veins or in those of the same name the temperature of the blood is generally lower 

 than in the corresponding arteries, on account of the greater amount of heat 

 given off in the slower movement. Thus, the temperature of the blood of the 

 jugular vein is from 0.5 to 2 lower than that of the carotid; that of the blood 

 of the crural vein is from 0.75 to i lower than that of the crural artery. Super- 

 ficial veins, particularly in the skin, give off much heat and therefore the contained 

 blood has a lower temperature. The hepatic veins contain the warmest blood, 

 39.7 C., not alone on account of the glandular activity of the liver, but also 

 on account of the extraordinarily protected situation of the organ. 



The Temperature of the Tissues. The temperature of the individual 

 tissues is the higher: (i) the more they contribute to the production of 

 heat through the transformation of potential energy, that is, the greater 

 their metabolic activity; (2) the more blood they contain; and (3) the 

 more protected their situation. 



The muscles are the chief seat of heat-production, principally during 

 contraction, but also during rest. The temperature of the blood in the 



