The Determination of the Surface Area of Swine and Other Animals (With Plates I and II and Three Text-figures.)

Abstract

The unsatisfactory nature of empirical formulae for the determination of surface area in metabolism work, especially with reference to pigs, is discussed, and the conclusion reached that the actual estimation of the area is the only satisfactory method where an accuracy greater than ± 10 per cent. is desired. It is pointed out that surface area is to some extent variable in animals and that direct determinations are from this point of view less satisfactory than might have been thought. A new method is proposed for estimating the surface area of a pig in a definite standing position depending on mathematical and photographic conditions only, and therefore applicable to the living animal, and to the same animal at different times during its life. Full sets of computations are given and one case is noted where the method affords a correct estimate as between two pigs where the formulae are all clearly wrong.