10 TRANSACTIONS LT\ ERPOOL BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



almost to render continuance of the experiments impossible. 

 These extremes were, however, avoided, and with the variations 

 of i; brake " chosen no modification in the character of move- 

 ment was discernible. Now, it was interesting, and quite 

 unexpected, to discover when the results of the whole series 

 of experiments were tabulated and analysed that the variation 

 in total expense with the body-weight regularly diminished 

 as the value of the " brake " was increased, until at a certain 

 value of the ;i brake " there were no such differences, and 

 every cyclist paid the same price no matter what his weight. 

 It was still more interesting to discover later that this regular 

 modification in the influence of the body-weight was analvsable 

 into the statements made just now, that its influence was 

 twofold, and that it affected the performance of movement 

 in an adverse, and the performance of work in a favourable 

 manner. The analysis is such as to point to very exact con- 

 clusions in these directions. Thus, the cost of work done on 

 the cycle in these experiments was equal to the value of the 

 work multiplied by the following factor, 



6£6_ 



IF -' 



where ' ; W " is the subj ect's body- weight . On the other hand the 

 cost of the underlying movement at this particular rate, which 

 was maintained throughout the series was equal to a " constant" 

 multiplied by IF 1 " 44 . The logical deduction from this definite 

 analysis of the results obtained is, that had the value of the 

 "brake'" been still further increased above that actually 

 utilised, one would have had to deal with " total expenses/' 

 including the expenses of movement and work, which would 

 have been found to diminish with increasing body- weight. 

 Well, there is nothing in these findings more than confirmation 

 of a generally wide-spread notion, that for mere purposes of 

 movement lightness is a valuable asset, and that for increasing 

 work an increase in the workman's body-weight is similarly 



