THE THERMOMETER AS A COMPANION IN DAILY LIFE. 381 
On another occasion, with a temperature of 98°*9, remaining 
in a hot-bath recording 111°, my temperature rose to 103 o, 75 
in less than twenty-five minutes, when faintness and great 
giddiness came on. In twenty minutes after leaving the hath 
my temperature had fallen between three and four degrees. 
These show how little the body is capable of withstanding 
changes in the temperature on occasions when the skin cannot 
be called into action, a difference in temperature of 37° only, 
brought into action for a very short time in each case, causing a 
variation in body-temperature of seven-and-a-half degrees. 
In the above slight sketch of some of the most interesting 
points connected with this instructive branch of physiological 
science, my desire has been, by a few well-marked instances, to 
illustrate how much there is to be learnt from the employment 
of the thermometer in the study of some of the most common- 
place phenomena of every-day life ; and so to stimulate others 
to prosecute similar enquiries in this rich field of biological 
research, which is, in many respects, but a blank to us as yet. 
Dr. William Marcet and Dr. Lortet have recorded the rapid fall 
in temperature which occurs in the ascent of mountains ; the 
former able author has promised further observations on the 
effects of descending from great heights ; as yet, however, he 
has not published any results in that direction. Any amateur 
tourist who, in a trip to Mount Blanc or Mount Etna, could 
supply this information, would do work which is certain to be 
fully appreciated by physiologists generally. Dr. Jiirgensen 
and Dr. Finlayson have given curves, representing the daily 
fluctuations in the human temperature, which are particularly 
constant. These curves can be nothing else than the sum of 
the various forces which I have above endeavoured to show are 
continually coming into play during our daily life ; nevertheless, 
there are still many gaps to be filled up before the complete 
proof that they are so is arrived at. The whole subject is 
fraught with interest in all directions. 
