The record-union., 1895-01-05
WHAT A PERSON WEIGHS
Difficult to Determine, Even With
seemingly Accurate Scales.

Dlh1cuiU TO DeCSrDlI1e, Even Win
seemingly Accurate Scales.
Many persons weigh themselves fire.
quenuy and imagine that they know
their weight. Sweet illusion! Nothing
is more difficult than to know ones
weight exactly, even with access to first
class scales. We hear one say, Il am
making flesh, have increased two
pounds: and another, 81 am getting
into form, L weigh three pounds less";
but while do not wish to make myself
disagreeable. especially to people who
keep account OF their weight, L am con-
Vinced that in most of such cases there
is really not an ounce of gain or loss, or
If there is any variation, ii Is not what
the scales record.
a lady goes into a store, weighs her.
self, and receives a card: August 18th,
10 pounds. She goes to the country, and
returning after several months weighs
herself again in the same store aud re-
celves card, on which she finds IN
scribed, November I'D, 126 pounds. She
has gained six pounds in three months
and ascribes 1T to the change, the fresh
air, etc., she feels happy--good weight,
good health. But Is this increase real?
IN nine cases out of ten it is only ap-
parent, due mainly TO wearing more or
heavier clothes, thicker boots, etc.
The ordinary methods for determining
variations in weight give absolutely fall
lacious results. The causes which in
fluence weight are numerous, and rarely
taken into consideration. For example,
was the weight taken Immediately after
breakfast or long after? or following
active exercise attended with free per-
spiration? Again, many people, even
educated people, have extraordinary
ideas as to what affects the weight of the
body. Have you not been asked more
than once ii 1t is true that one weighs less
after meals than before? AS if every ad-
ditional 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 break fast, an
other day before dinner, another day
with heavy clothes on, another day when
it rains, etc. Add to this the errors of
the scales, and who can say that he knows
exactly his own weight or range of varia-
ton?
Ones weight is like mobile express
siOn-it changes every instant. The study
of this matter is nevertheless of consider
able physiological and hygienic i'm
portance, fact of which I have become
thoroughly convinced in the course of
more than ten years investigation of the
subject.
The inaccuracy of ordinary balances,
such as one finds in hotels, at railway
stations, etc., determined me to make a
A.
grammes (22O pounds, and TO be exact
10 within an ounce, and since then | have
weighed myself regularly every day, at
the same hour in the morning and under
Identical conditions, and to-day l possess
record OF five years of experiments con-
Quoted with the utmost precision.
Every day when weighing myself l
record the barometric and hygrometric
variations, the temperature, and the din
ner menu for the day. These expert
ments have convinced me more than ever
that our weight is in perpetual state of
huctuatlon. After eliminating the errors
OF the instrument, our weight varies, SUBJ
ject 10 innumerable influences. At break
last, on warm day, one loses more than
100 grammeS an hour. How. then, are
you 10 arrive at your true weight when
1t Is subject to such incessant tiuctua-
tIons? When we remember that 20 per
cent. of our body is water there is little
difficulty in understanding that our
weight must vary continually with the
Transportation OF moisture; moreover, il
varies with the pressure of the atmoS-
phere.
The mere variations in atmospheric
humidity suffice to account for change
of more than pound, and other causes
may sufhce to account TOR another pound.
The person who weighs only at intervals
may infer from this that he is growing
heavier or lighter, but the conclusion is
unwarranted. There are some people, on
the other hand, who will tell you that
their weight never changes. This, too. is
an error; it is constantly fluctuating. The
fault is generally that the scales used do
not record variations OF a pound or so.
For ordinary purposes this is of no con-
sequence, but for recording changes of
weight in sickness it is of very serious
moment.
Tine scales are not without their import
ance in medical practice, especially with
infants. The weight OF an infant increases
In definite proportion during the first
weeks OF life, and there can be no depart
ure from this regularity OF increase with
out impairment of health. For adult
persons, too, it is good to consult the
scales, for they are the barometer of
health. Any sudden Increase of weight,
amounting TO a pound or two in day,
indicates a tendency to disease. 1t is evil
dence of health when the weight does not
tiuctuate more than three or four ounces
from day to day. Great fluctuation i'm
plies functional derangement.-Dr Par
vile in lie Correspondent.