Temperature of the Human Body in Health. 203 



Tarves. 



Nov. 13. Dinner at 1. No rise. Observations continued till 5 p.m. 



m 15. 



4.20. 



Eise 0°-6 



>> 



8 





Jones. 





o 









Nov. 9. 



4.10. 



„ 0-6 





8 





„ 10. 



1.15. 



„ 0-4 



,$ I 



5 





„ 11. 



1.10. 



„ 0-8 



i» 



5 



» 



„ 14. „ 



12.15. 



„ 0-4 



M 



6 





„ 13. 



1.30. 



„ 04 



it . 



5 



i» 



Perrin. „ 



4.10. 



No rise. 



» 



8 



»i 



Mary Lyon. 



1.30. 



Eise 0-2 



» 



5 



»> 



Average rise 













It may, however, be fairly objected to this argument, that the influence 

 of the breakfast on the body had not ceased before that of the dinner 

 begun, and that the dinner prevented the possible fall after the break- 

 fast if dinner had not been taken. 



Thus, to summarize very generally the conclusions we have arrived 

 at : — There is a diurnal cycle in the temperature of the body, much more 

 evident in young than in middle-aged or old people ; in elderly people, 

 indeed, the daily variation is often very slight, and sometimes altogether 

 absent ; further, this diurnal variation is due to other causes than food, 

 which if operative in any degree in producing elevation of the tempera- 

 ture, is so, if at all, to a very small extent. 



Paet III. 



On the Influence, of Cold Baths on the Temperature of the Body. 



We undertook these experiments from a wish to learn the influence 

 of the cold bath on the temperature of the surface and internal parts of 

 the body, and to ascertain if it were possible, in any degree, to cool the 

 whole body ; and if so, to what extent the temperature could be lowered, 

 and how long this depression would continue. 



Our observations were made in the winter months. The temperature 

 of the person fixed upon for experiment was first carefully ascertained 

 either in the axilla, the rectum, or under the tongue. He was then im- 

 mersed in a bath of a temperature of 60° Fahr. for a time varying from 

 1 to 35 minutes in the several series of experiments. The body was 

 covered by the water up to the chin. Immediately on the return to bed 

 the temperature was again ascertained, and every few minutes afterwards. 

 In some instances we took the temperature under the tongue during the 

 immersion ; but these notes we fear are not quite correct, although we 

 spared no pains, for the patient's teeth chattered so much as to prevent 

 the steady closure of the lips. 



