Metabolism and pulse rate as related to reading under high and low levels of illumination.

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Abstract
The basal metabolism and pulse rate of 21 subjects were compared while reading for 1 hr. under 1 footcandle of illumination compared with reading for 1 hr. under 50 foot candles. On a succeeding morning the expt. was repeated with the order of illumination reversed. The experiments were carried out in an air-conditioned dark room where the temp. and humidity could be kept constant. No apparent relationship was observed between the basal metabolic rate (within the limits of [plus or minus]5%) and the level of illumination. There was a general tendency for the heart rate to decrease slightly during the 2-hr. reading period, irrespective of the level of illumination. It is questionable whether reliable criteria for determining adequate levels of illumination for tasks such as reading during short periods of time (approximately 2 hrs.) can be obtained in terms of O2 consumption and heart rate, since the amt. of tissue involved in the eyes and brain is relatively small in relation to the total amt. of tissue in the body.

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