The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1894-12-15
A PERSONS WEIGHT.
Curious Facts About Its Daily and Hourly
Variations.

ton Is one which the majority OF man
kind can not answer with any degree
of exactitpde; first, because the acces-
sible scales are liable To error: second
ly, because people make no proper al
lowance for the weight OF their clothes;
and thirdly, because the weight of a
person is in state Of continuous os-
cilliation that may be observed even I
while one Is on the scales. DIR. Henri |
de Parville. u French physician, who I
has made the subject lifelong study. /.
has communicated some interesting /
facts In this connection 20 lie Corre- |
spondant.r Paris, from which we trans
late the following:
MANY persons weigh themselves FREE
quently and imagine that they know
their weight. Sweet illusion! Moth
ing is more difficult than TO know ones
weight exactly, even with access To
/ first-class scales We hear one say: i
am making flesh; have increased two
pounds and another: Il am getting
into form; weigh three pounds less;'
but while do not wish TO make my
self disagreeable. especially 20 people
| who keep account Of their weight |
| am convinced that i'm most Of such
/ eases there is really not an ounce OF
/ gain or loss; or IL there Is any varia-
\ ton. il is not what the scales record.
/ a lady goes into store, weighs her
self and receives a card: August Is,
one hundred and twenty pounds. She
goes 10 the country, and, returning
after several months, weighs herself
/ again in the same store and receives
II IL 81 ~. ft,.f sssfl ass1a
4 November %, one hundred and
twenty-six pounds. She has gained
/ six pounds in three months and as
, cribcs il To tine change the fresh air,
etc. She feels happy-good weight,
i good health But Is this increase real?
In nine eases out Of ten it.is only APP
4 parent. due mainly 20 wcaring more or
heavier clothes, thicker boots, etc.
The ordinary methods for determining
variations in weight give absolutely
fallacious results.
The causes which influence weight
arc numerous and rarely taken into
consideration. For example was the
weight taken Immediately after break-
fast or long after? or following active
exercise, attended with free pcrspira-
tione Again many people. even edu-
Gated people. have extraordinary ideas
as TO what affects the weight Of the
BODY. Have you not been asked more
than once II Il Is true that one weighs
less after meals than before? As II
every additional weight in the pocket
or the stomach were not necessarily
revealed by the balance.
''The fact Is that people are in the
habit Of weighing themselves, for good
luck, one day after breakfast, another
day before dinner, another day with
heavy clothes on. another day when II
rains, etc. Add TO this the errors OF the
scales, and who can say that he knows
exactly his own weight or range OF
variation? Ones weight is like mo-
bile expression; il changes every in
slant The study Of this matter IS new
ertheless Of considc able physiological
and hygienic Importance, fact OF
which | have become thoroughly con
WINGED in the course Of more than ten
years investigation Of the subject.
"The naccuracy Of ordinary bal.
, anccs. such as one finds in hotels, al
, railway stations. etc. determined me
, 10 make a portable balance 90 weigh
' one hundred Kilograms two hundred
I and twenty pounds, and to bc exact to
/ within an ounce, and since then
' have weighed myself regularly every
4 day, at the same hour in the
a morning and under identical conditions
v and to-dry ! possess record OF five
years OF experiments conducted Will
the utmost precision. Every day whcI
weighing myself ! record the baromet
y rio and hygrometric variations, th'
q temperature and the dinner menu 70
y the day. These experiments have con
y WINGED me more than ever that on
Q weight is in n perpetual state Of iiuctua
T tion. After eliminating the errors o
a the instrument our weight varies sui
5. iect TO innumerable Influences Afte
q breakfast. on warm day, one lose
e. more than one hundred and fifty gram
y an hour. How, then, are you 60 arriv
y at your true weight when IL Is subjec
n to such incessant fluctuations?
~ nWhen we remember that seventy pc
cent Of our body Is water. there
little difficulty i'm understanding tina
y. our weight must vary continually wit
~ the Transportation OF moisture; more
10 over, Il varies with the pressure of tn
70 atmosphere. The mere tarjatiops !
" atmospheric humidity suffice To a,
u count for change Of more than
V pound, and other causes may suffice
account for another pound. The PEI
son who weighs only az intervals ma
- infer from this that he Is growing ligh
O. or or heavier. but the conclusion Is ~
!. warranted There arc some people. Q
- the other hand, who will tell you ths
a. their weight never changes. This. TO-
= Is an error; IL is constantly hnctnatinI
:. The fault Is generally tlat> the scale
:. fused do not record variations ~
~ pound or So For ordinary purp6s'
- this Is OF no consequences. hut for r
~ cording changes OF weight in siclsue
H., Il Il Of very serious moment
y. .'rhe scales are not without the
al Importance In medical practice. q