MINUTE PATTERN OF HUMAN PERSPIRATION OBSERVED BY A CONTINUOUSLY RECORDING METHOD

Abstract

Human perspiration on a skin area of 20cm.² was recorded continuouslyby the use of a sensitive resistance hygrometer and it was found that the rateof sweating changed periodically with a cycle of a few seconds. Furthermore, evidence was presented that these variations occurred coincidently not onlyon the symmetrical parts of the chest, but also on the forehead and the thighindependently of the regional differences in sweat volume. A phenomenon ofhemihidrotic sweating induced reflexly by the skin-pressure was reconfirmed.Under this reflex state, the same periodic variations were still found on theside pressed and the opposite side, although the sweating was facilitated onthe latter and inhibited on the former. The cyclic variation of sweating maybe due to periodical contractions of myoepithelium, and the innervations ofwhich must differ from those of secretory sweat cells.