The measurement of the surface area of adults

Abstract

Meeh's 1 formula K WT ^2/3 is accurate in principle only when applied to individuals of differing weights but of similar body form.

The surface area of five adults of widely different weights and forms was measured by the following method. The subject was dressed in a tight fitting suit of union underwear, the hands were covered with cotton gloves, the feet with socks and the head with a tight fitting bag of woven cotton material. The gloves were then covered with melted paraffin and over the rest of the surface strips of paper were pasted in such a manner that a stiff mould of the body was formed. This was then cut in small pieces which would lie flat. Patterns of these pieces were made by printing them on photographic paper of known area and weight. These patterns were then cut out and weighed and the surface areas of the various parts of body calculated.

Many linear measurements of the subject were taken and an effort made to find the length and average breadth of each part of the body. After numerous trials characteristic measurements of length and breadth were chosen. The products of the length and breadth when divided into the surface area as actually determined, gave factors which varied but little in the five cases measured. The total surface area of the body can be estimated by multiplying the length, breadth and the proper constant for each part of the body and then adding the parts together. This new formula gave the following errors in the five cases measured: Small fat cretin +0.5 per cent.; short, stout man +1.3 per cent.; tall, thin man — 3.8 per cent.; tall man of average build +0.9 per cent.; short, very fat woman +2.0 per cent.