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THERMOMETERS.
71
danger; and with a pulse at i6o, the patient almost always
dies.
Under the age of fifteen, any disease of the lungs is almost
invariably accompanied by great frequency of the pulse, so that
a pulse of 120 to 140 would not be considered as so serious in
significance as if it occurred in an older person.
A soft, rapid, small pulse indicates great weakness, and an
irregular or intermittent pulse indicates functional or organic
disease of the heart.
A pulse of 120 in a strong, robust patient affected with pneu-
monia, indicates some form of heart-disease. When pneumonia
occurs in the cachectic or debilitated, the pulse is usually very
frequent, often 120 to 160, and such cases usually die. In peri-
carditis and myocarditis, there is great frequency of the pulse,
especially on any movement of the patient— 130 to 160—and
the change may be very sudden. In acute articular rheumatism,
unaccompanied by any heart disease, a pulse of 120 or more in-
dicates great danger. In pleuritic effusions, the pulse may be
very frequent, especially when there is displacement of the heart.

RESPIRATIOX AT VARIOUS STAGES.
At one year of age, per minute
35
" two years of age " " 25
" puberty " " 20
" adult age, " " . 18

THERMOMETERS.
There are three different thermometers in use—Fahrenheit's,
Centigrade and Reaumur's—each differing from the other with
reference to the number of degrees between the freezing and
boiling points of water. In Fahrenheit's, zero is placed at 32
degrees below the freezing point, while in the others zero marks
the freezing point.
in
The boiling point in Fahrenheit's is placed at 202 degrees ;
Centigrade at 100, and in Reaumur's at 80.
The degrees between the freezing and boiling points in the in-
struments are, therefore, respectively 180, 100 and 80.