**2.1 The formula of Meeh (1879)**

In 1879, Meeh published a formula to estimate BSA from body weight. (Meeh, 1879) Meeh derived his formula in 6 adults and 10 children, using a variety of methods. Some parts of the body were marked out in geometrical patterns, which were then traced on transparent paper. Next, the surface of these areas was determined by geometry, or if the pieces of paper were very irregular, by weighing. Some of the cylindrical parts of the body were wound with strips of millimeter paper like a bandage. The widely used formula proposed by Meeh was based on the fundamental mathematical law which states that similar solids have a surface area proportional to the 2/3 power of their volumes. He used body weight to represent volume, and derived the following equation, based on dimensional analysis: BSA = 0.1053 weight 2/3.
