The establishment in Boston of an inquiry into the nutrition of man with
the construction of a special laboratory for that purpose is a direct
outcome of a series of investigations originally undertaken in the
chemical laboratory of Wesleyan University, in Middletown, Connecticut,
by the late Prof. W. O. Atwater. Appreciating the remarkable results of
Pettenkofer and Voit[1] and their associates, as early as 1892 he made
plans for the construction of a respiration apparatus accompanied by
calorimetric features. The apparatus was designed on the general
ventilation plan of the above investigators, but in the first
description of this apparatus[2] it is seen that the method used for the
determination of carbon dioxide and water-vapor was quite other than
that used by Voit. Each succeeding year of active experimenting brought
about new developments until, in 1902, the apparatus was essentially
modified by changing it from the open-circuit type to the closed-circuit
type of Regnault and Reiset. This apparatus, thus modified, has been
completely described in a former publication.[3] The calorimetric
features likewise underwent gradual changes and, as greater accuracy was
desired, it was found impracticable to conduct calorimetric
investigations to the best advantage in the basement of a chemical
laboratory. With four sciences crowded into one building it was
practically impossible to devote more space to these researches.
Furthermore, the investigations had proceeded to such an extent that it
seemed desirable to construct a special laboratory for the purpose of
carrying out the calorimetric and allied investigations on the nutrition
of man.
In designing this laboratory it was planned to overcome the difficulties
experienced in Middletown with regard to control of the room-temperature
and humidity, and furthermore, while the researches had heretofore been
carried on simultaneously with academic duties, it appeared absolutely
necessary to adjust the research so that the uninterrupted time of the
experimenters could be given to work of this kind. Since these
experiments frequently continued from one to ten days, their
satisfactory conduct was not compatible with strenuous academic duties.
As data regarding animal physiology began to be accumulated, it was soon
evident that there were great possibilities in studying abnormal
metabolism, and hence the limited amount of pathological material
available in Middletown necessitated the construction of the laboratory
in some large center.
A very careful consideration was given to possible sites in a number of
cities, with the result that the laboratory was constructed on a plot of
ground in Boston in the vicinity of large hospitals and medical schools.
Advantage was taken, also, of the opportunity to secure connections with
a central power-plant for obtaining heat, light, electricity, and
refrigeration, thus doing away with the necessity for private
installation of boilers and electrical and refrigerating machinery. The
library advantages in a large city were also of importance and within a
few minutes' walk of the present location are found most of the large
libraries of Boston, particularly the medical libraries and the
libraries of the medical schools.
The building, a general description of which appeared in the Year Book
of the Carnegie Institution of Washington for 1908, is of plain brick
construction, trimmed with Bedford limestone. It consists of three
stories and basement and practically all the space can be used for
scientific work. Details of construction may be had by reference to the
original description of the building. It is necessary here only to state
that the special feature of the new building with which this report is
concerned is the calorimeter laboratory, which occupies nearly half of
the first floor on the northern end of the building.