Finger Numbness and Skin Temperature

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Abstract
The tactile discrimination of the right index fingertips of men exposed to a cold environment was found to decrease with the skin temperature of the same area. The measure of tactile discrimination was minimum separation between two edges at which they could be discriminated as two. The log log of this separation was inversely proportional to the skin temperature between 0° and +33°C. If the finger was rewarmed by a phase of spontaneous vasodilatation, which generally developed after about 15 minutes of exposure to –18° to –23°C, tactile discrimination recovered with the rise in skin temperature. If spontaneous rewarming did not occur at that temperature, frostbite usually ensued. Submitted on March 9, 1956

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