1904.] On Heat Regulation and Death Temperatures. 363 



Of the variations found among the fatal medical cases, 75 per cent, 

 were rises of temperature and 25 per cent, falls. For the surgical 

 cases, the corresponding percentages were 73 and 27 ; the two classes 

 agreeing very closely. Elevations of temperature occurred in 26 per 

 cent., and falls in 8 per cent., of all the cases examined. 



The relative proportions of male to female deaths were also investi- 

 gated, and the following figures were obtained : — 



Medical Gases. 



Proportion of male to female deaths during 



the same period 1*75 male to 1 female. 



Ditto, showing death rise of temperature 1"57 ,, 1 ,, 



Ditto, showing death fall of temperature 1*45 ,, 1 „ 



Surgical Cases. 



Proportion of male to female deaths during 



the same period 1"63 male to 1 female. 



Ditto, showing death rise of temperature 1*75 ,, 1 „ 



Ditto, showing death fall of temperature 1*39 „ 1 ,, 



The following deductions may be made from these figures, indicating 

 lines along which an explanation of the phenomenon may be sought. 

 In surgical cases males are more apt to show a death rise ; females, 

 on the other hand, show a marked tendency to death falls. In medical 

 cases the difference is not so marked, but female patients are relatively 

 more liable to death variations of temperature than are male. A fall 

 of temperature in both medical and surgical cases is more common in 

 females than in males. 



There is one point on which medical and surgical cases differ from 

 each other, and that is, that in the latter deaths due to injury are 

 included. As to the actual cause of death in disease and in injury the 

 difference is not so great, but, as will be seen in the following table, 

 the death temperatures vary considerably in one important point in 

 the two classes. Only the surgical cases are here considered : — 



Proportion of deaths due to disease and 



injury , 1-88 disease to 1 injury. 



Ditto, showing death rise 1*84 „ 1 „ 



Ditto, showing death fall 3'29 ,, 1 „ 



These figures show that rises in the bodily temperature, just before 

 death occurs, are found to be present in fairly equal proportion in 

 patients dying from disease and from injury. Falls of temperature, 

 however, are very much more common in patients suffering from 

 disease. The following table shows the same proportions in per- 

 centages : — 



