368 



Messrs. Parkes and Wollowicz on the Effect of [May 19, 



the following notes of a single day (the eighteenth, when the man was 

 taking water) may be interesting : — 



tt Axilla Rectum 



lir " temperature. temperature. 



S a.m 98-2 98*4 



10 „ 98 



11 „ 98 98-6 



12 noon 97*4 98*2 



1 „ 97 6 98-4 



2 „ 98-4 99'5 



3 „ 98-2 99 4 



4 „ 98-6 99-2 



5 „ 97-4 98-6 



6 „ 97 98 



7 „ 97*6 



8 „ 99*4 98-2 



9 „ 97*6 98-2 



10 „ 98 9S«4 



Mean 97*98 98*51 



The mean difference on this day in favour of the rectum is 0 o, 53 ; but, 

 as appears from the former Tables, the rectum sometimes has a tempera- 

 ture of 1°, or even 2°, more than the axilla : but such difference as the last 

 number seldom occurred. 



The general result from all these observations surprised us, considering 

 the numerous experiments on men and animals in which the temperature 

 has been found to be lowered by alcohol. An explanation may, however, 

 be possible. Our experiments being to ascertain the dietetic properties 

 of alcohol, we never aimed at producing very decided narcotism or marked 

 symptoms of poisoning ; and as we had to deal with a perfectly healthy 

 resisting organism, which received always the same quantity of food, the 

 effect of alcohol in lowering temperature might not be so well marked as 

 in an ill-fed or unhealthy body. TA'e do not dispute the accuracy of the 

 observations which show that large and narcotic doses of alcohol lower 

 the temperature of the body in men and animals ; but our experiments 

 prove that alcohol, in the limits we have stated and with an equal supply 

 of food, did not have this effect in a perfectly healthy man. 



The rising of mean temperature which seemed to occur was not con- 

 siderable enough to make it probable that it was due to heat derived from 

 combustion of alcohol ; it was more probably owing to quickened circu- 

 lation, and in addition the slight febrile attack which occurred on the 

 twelfth and thirteenth days, augmented the mean temperature of the 

 alcoholic period ; but this would not account for the similar slight increase 

 in the brandy period. 



