Physiological Responses of Hands and Feet to Cold in Relation to Body Temperature

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Abstract
Subjects in full cold-weather clothing were exposed on the flight-deck of an aircraft carrier in the Arctic to ambient temps. down to -12[degree] C and wind-velocities up to 40 knots. At rest there was some body cooling, and the hands and feet cooled markedly and rapidly. Hands and feet after cooling thus, often to the point of discomfort and loss of efficiency, consistently rewarmed when the body heat content was restored and rectal temp. rose as a result of comparatively light physical work. Extremity re-warming is presumably reflex and mediated through control of blood-flow to the extremities. This control of blood-flow and hence heat-flow to these areas, appears to exert a dominating effect on extremity temp. in cold environments. Some apparent reinforcement of this vasodilator effect was shown during short exposures with the body heavily clad and body temp. raised by vigorous work, when even bare hands were prevented from cooling. However with the body scantily clad even a raised rectal temp. did not prevent some cooling of the hands.