Abstract
Four normal persons, two men and two women, have served as subjects for this investiagtion. On each, the following observations were made once a week throughout the year (February, 1925—February, 1926) under basal conditions between 8 and 10 a. m. The observations and their apparent course throughout the year follow:
1. Oral temperature; no certain periodicity.
2. Reclining systolic pressure: all show a marked depression in the spring and in three cases there are also low points in midsummer and late fall—early winter.
3. Reclining pulse: lowest in summer.
4. Alveolar air:
(1) Oxygen, uncertain, with perhaps a tendency to be lowest in summer;
(2) Carbon dioxid, highest in the summer in all subjects and rhythmically coincident with the menstrual cycle in the women, the low points coming just before the onset of menstruation.
5. Pulmonary ventilation: both the tidal and minute volumes show a marked depression in the spring with a rise to maximum in late summer and early fall.
6. Expired air: the percentages of oxygen and carblon dioxid vary inversly, the former showing a marked low point in spring and a maximum between July and September, while the latter is highest in the spring and lowest during late summer and early fall.
7. Carbon dioxifd per minute: nlo evident periodicity.
8. Oxygen per minute and calories per square meter per hour: lowest in the period, July to September.
9. Respiraltory Quotient non-protein) : with one exception seems to be highest in the summer and early fall.
Under the same basal conditions and either just preceding or following the above determinations 20 cc. of blood were taken from an arm vein.
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