The Body at Work: A Treatise on the Principles of PhysiologyHill, Alex
Science
The Body at Work: A Treatise on the Principles of Physiology
Hill, Alex
Physiology
But we must not conclude, as we are tempted to do, that muscle is
capable of liberating as mechanical work the whole of the energy
supplied to it in food, seeing that its activity is always accompanied
by evolution of more heat than can be attributed to friction. If
the bulb of a thermometer be inserted into a group of muscles, the
instrument shows a marked rise of temperature when the muscles
contract. Even though the temperature of the chamber in which an animal
is placed is equal to its own, the animal makes more heat if compelled
to work, notwithstanding the fact that the consequent rise of its body
temperature may prove fatal.
Nor can muscles dispense unlimited heat without doing mechanical work.
If I am too cold, the obvious means of getting warm is jumping about.
There appears to be a level of heat-production which cannot be exceeded
without movement. When more heat is called for than quiescent muscles
can produce, they exhibit flickering contractions, shivering, without
moving the limbs. The signal for increased production is given by
the skin. The skin is sensible of the amount of heat which is being
lost. Exposure to cold air makes one shiver, by suddenly withdrawing
heat. But an increase of temperature in the blood behind the skin
has an exactly similar effect. In the first stage of fever, when the
temperature of the body has risen two or three degrees, and before
the system has become accustomed to this state of affairs, the skin
announces to the muscles that heat is being rapidly lost. A severe
shiver, termed a “rigor,” is the result. At the same time loss of
heat by evaporation is checked, just as it is when the skin is cold.
The sweat-glands are rendered inactive. A phenomenon which marks the
nightly fall of temperature in consumptive patients is the sudden
return of activity in these glands.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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