STUDIES ON CONDITIONS FOR ADAPTATION TO LOW TEMPERATURE ENVIRONMENT : with reference to subjects working under low outdoor temperatures

Abstract

With intent to grasp the degree of adaptation of the human body to low temperature environment, the author selected 45 healthy male subjects of approximately 20 years of age wearing relatively ideal apparel under low temperature outdoor labour conditions. Studies were centered on the measurements of criterion O/K₃, which is thought to be normally at 20 approximately and rises in parallel with the degree of stress (fatigue), regardless of whether the cause is psychic or somatic. Results: 1) After 2∼5 days from the beginning of the experiment a remarkable rise was seen in O/K₃ which was followed by a gradual decrease 2) When the maximum daytime outdoor temperature remained under -5°C, high values in O/K₃ were seen. 3) In the present experimental conditions, the rise in O/K₃ coincided with the rise in urine volume, urine chlorine and urine titration acidity.