Experimental studies were made to determine the amount of B. M. of the blind school-children, and to solve the seasonal effects of the B. M. and growth to either the environmental temperature or reflected light.
The B. M. were measured on 10 boys and 9 girls of 7 to 12 year in age, every season for one year from October 1957 by the Douglas-bag method.
On the other hand, the height and weight were measured on 19 boys and 13 girls of blind school-children and 785 boys and 742 girls of normal school-children of 6 to 14 years in age, every month for one year since April 1957.
The following results were obtained.
(1) The amount of B. M. per square meter of the body surface per hour and oxygen consumption increased in autumn and winter, and decreased in summer and spring.
Respiratory quotient was lowest in winter and autumn and highest in summer and spring. These seasonal variations were in agreement with normal children.
(2) The amount of B. M. of blind girls in about 7-14 per cent less than that of the boys'.
(3) The amount of B. M. of blind children, both boys and girls, is about 1-15 per cent less than the standard value of B. M. which was introduced by the National Food and Nutrition Council of Japan, and also Furukawa's value.
(4) As in normal children, the B. M. of blind children depends largely upon the age, sex, height, weight and surface area of the body, and these co-relation was not much different. However, among these co-relation the surface area of the body is the most highly correlated with the B. M.
(5) Similar to normal school-children, the maximum development in height of blind children are in spring and their weight in autumn.
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