472 AN AMERICAN TEXT-BOOK OF PHYSIOLOGY. 



on an average 6.85 beats per minute. After the local hot bath the temperature 

 remained subnormal, and the heart-beats became less frequent, and finally were 

 mi an average from 2.7 to 3.1 beats per minute less than the normal rate. 



More important, however, than the pulse-rate is the effect of the amount 

 of blood supplied to any given part of the body. The mere lowering or rais- 

 ing of the arm is sufficient to alter the blood-supply to the part; thus Romer 

 found that keeping the arm elevated for five minutes was sufficient to reduce 

 the temperature of the hand 0.19° C, and that if the period was doubled the 

 fall amounted to 0.38° C. Compression of the veins of the arm may diminish 

 the temperature of the hand as much as 0.25° to 2.45° C, while compression 

 of the brachial artery may cause a fall of 2.4° within fifteen minutes. A larger 

 supply of blood to the cutaneous surface increases cutaneous temperature and 

 tends to decrease internal temperature, while a lessened supply causes the 

 opposite effect-. 



In abnormal conditions the temperature may be increased or decreased : in 

 cholera, diabetes, and in the last stages of insanity, it may be lowered 6° or 

 8° C. or even more. In fever it is increased, usually ranging between 37.5° 

 and 41.5° C. (99.4° and 106.7° F.), but in very rare cases it may reach 44° to 

 45° C. (111° to 113° F.) just before death. A temperature of 42.5° C. 

 (108.5° F.) maintained for several hours is almost inevitably fatal. In frogs, 

 the highest temperature consistent with life for any length of time is below 

 40° C. ; in birds, from 48° to 50° C, and in dogs, from 43° to 45° C. Ex- 

 ceptional cases are on record of people having survived extraordinarily high 

 or low bodily temperature, Richet having reported one in which the tempera- 

 ture several times was 46° C. (114.8° F.), while Teale records an axillary tem- 

 perature of 50° C. (122° F.) in an hysterical (?) woman. Frantzel noted a 

 temperature of 24.6° C. (76.2° F.) in a drunken man, and Kosiirew a temper- 

 ture of 26.5° C. (79.7° F.) in a man having a fractured skull. 



Bodily temperature may be variously influenced by drugs and other sub- 

 stances, micro-organisms, etc. Some increase it, others decrease it, others are 

 without any marked influence, while others exert primary and secondary 

 actions. Among those which increase bodily temperature are cocain, atropin, 

 strychnin, brucin, caffein, veratrin, etc., and, as shown by Krehl 1 and others, a 

 large number of other organic substances and micro-organisms. Temperature 

 is decreased by anaesthetics, morphin and other hypnotics, quinin, various 

 antipyretics, large doses of alcohol, etc. 



A.mong the most important of the conditions which affect bodily tempera- 

 ture are disturbances of the nervous system. Injury or irritation of almost 

 any part of the nerve-centres and of certain nerves may give rise directly or 

 indirectly to alterations of temperature, and there are some parts which are 

 very sensitive in this respeet, especially certain areas of the brain cortex, the 

 striated bodies, the pons Varolii, the spinal bulb, and the cutaneous nerves. 

 The results of injury or stimulation of these as well as of other parts will 

 be considered later on (p. 193). 



1 Archir fur experimentelle Pathologie und Pharmakologi&, 1895, Bd. 35, S. 222-268. 



