SYSTOLIC BLOOD-PRESSURE AND THE PULSE RATE. 



.71 



in Philadelphia with a 10-centimeter cuff foimd an average pressure of 

 114.3 millimeters for a series of 10 boys ranging from 15 to 20 years 

 of age; 119 millimeters for 53 men ranging from 21 to 30 years; and 

 120 for 9 individuals ranging from 31 to 40 years. 



Most of the older statistics for blood-pressure on healthy persons are 

 based on readings made with narrow, constricting bands like the 5-centi- 

 meter armlet used with the early Eiva-Bocci apparatus. Such figures 

 are always too high. 



The figures given above indicate that in the temperate zone and with 

 a wide armlet the mean blood-pressure for healthy men from 15 to 30 

 years of age should be looTced for between the limits of 115 and 120 

 millimeters, certainly not above 122 millimeters. 



INFLUENCE OF TROPICAL CLIMATE ON BLOOD-PRESSURE AND PULSE RATE. 



The average blood-pressure with the 12.5-centimeter armlet, based 

 upon 5,368 readings on 992 American soldiers serving in the Philippines, 

 was 115.6, and the pulse rate for a like number of observations on the 

 same men was 81 per minute. These men ranged in age from 18 to 

 50 and the average was 26.6 years. The average length of their present 

 tour of tropical service was about eleven months at the beginning of the 

 year during which the men were under observation. Table II shows the 

 details of these observations. 



Table II.- — Average systolic Mood-pressures and pulse rates, based on 5,3i68 

 observations of each which were made on 992 American soldiers serving in the 

 Philippines; arranged according to age. (12.5-centimeter armlet.) 



Age period, years. 

 18 to 20 



Average 



age, 



years. 



19.4 

 22.8 

 27.2 

 32.6 

 37.5 

 43.1 



Number of men sho vping pressures from— 



Total ■ 

 num- 

 ber of 

 men. 



Average 

 pres- 

 sure. 



Average 

 pulse 

 rate. 



91 



to 



100 



mm. 



101 

 to 



no 



mm. 



111 



to 



120 



mm. 



121 



to 



130 



mm. 



131 



to 



140 



mm. 



141 



to 



150 



mm. 



151 



to 



160 



mm. 



1 

 32 

 16 



2 



2 



12 



156 



73 



34 



9 



3 



13 



165 



108 



42 



24 



17 



8 

 87 

 70 

 23 

 14 



7 



1 



22 



■ 13 



. 7 



8 



2 



1 





36 



mm. 

 115.0 

 "114.3 

 115.9 

 116,7 

 120.5 

 119 fi 



78 

 82 



81. 

 80 



79 



20 to 25 



5 

 3 



1 

 3 

 2 



2 

 3 



1 



469 



286 



109 



58 



34 



25 to 30 



30 to 35 



35 to 40 



Over 40 



Totals or 

 1 averages - 



i 





26.6 



53 



287 



369 



209 



1 

 53 ' 15 1 6 



! 



992 115.6 



81 



i 



It will be seen from the above table that the blood-pressures for the 

 ages from 18 to 30 average 115 millimeters, which is 7 millimeters lower 

 than Woley found and 3 millimeters lower than Bachmann found for 

 the same age period in the United States. However, it is exactly mid- 

 way in the normal range set by Gallavardin and Janeway for temperate 



