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X. — Observations on the Temperature of Newly-Born Children. By T. J. 

 Maclagan, M.D., Dundee. Communicated by Dr J. Matthews Duncan. 



(Read 5th April 1869.) 



The observations which form the basis of this paper were made on newly- 

 born children with the object of determining whether their temperature differed 

 from that of the adult, and if so, how and to what extent. They were made 

 during a recent residence in the Edinburgh Maternity Hospital, with the full 

 sanction of the attending physician, Dr Charles Bell. The thermometers* used 

 were Casella's straight self-registering. The rectum was the part chosen for the 

 insertion of the instrument. The utmost expedition was used in ligaturing the 

 cord, and separating the child from its mother. This being effected, the bulb of 

 the thermometer was at once introduced into the rectum, and the child was 

 wrapped in flannel, and committed to the charge of a nurse, who held the instru- 

 ment steadily in situ. In five minutes it was removed, and the temperature 

 noted. The observations were repeated every fifteen minutes during the first 

 hour, every thirty minutes during the second and third hours, and then every 

 hour up till the sixth hour after birth ; after that at wider intervals up to twenty- 

 four hours ; and then only twice a day between ten and eleven in the morning, 

 and between six and seven in the evening. 



By the adoption of the above method, the first observation was made whilst 

 the child yet retained the temperature imparted by the mother, whilst any subse- 

 quent change could not fail to be noted in consequence of the frequency with 

 which the observations were repeated. 



In order that the peculiarities of the child's temperature may be made as clear 

 as possible, the facts observed shall be treated of under three different heads. 

 We will consider (a) the temperature at the time of birth ; (b), the range noted 

 during the first twenty-four hours of extra-uterine life ; (c), that of the next 

 five days. 



(a). The temperature of the child at birth is the same as that of the mother. 

 If hers be high during the second stage of labour, that of the infant at birth will 

 show a corresponding elevation ; if normal, so also will the child's be. The mean 

 range of the maternal temperature at the time of delivery was found to be 



* The instruments were verified by the maker by a standard which is in perfect accordance with 

 that of the Royal Kew Observatory. 



VOL. XXV. PART II. 5 T 



