STUDIES ON CONDITIONS FOR ADAPTATION TO LOW TEMPERATURE ENVIRONMENT : with reference to subjects sleeping in tents on the snow

Abstract

Experiments were conducted in winter on 45 healthy male subjects of approximately 20 years, of age. The subjects were clothed in special cold weather apparel and subjected to outdoor labour during the daytime and slept in tents during the night. On the floor of the tent rice straw mats were laid direct on the snow over which a layer of straw was spread. The subjects slept in cotton sleeping bags stuffed to 5 cm thickness with chicken feathers. The intent of the present experiments was to grasp the degree of adaptation of the living body exposed to the above environmental conditions through urine quotient values and various biological substances appearing in urine. It was found that the urine quotient O/K₃ which is considered as a criterion of the living body showed no correlation to the outdoor temperature during labour in the daytime. However, it was revealed that a definite correlation existed between the urine quotient O/K₃ and the temperature within the tent during sleeping hours. This was prominent with respect to the minimum temperature. It was also found that after the first half of the experiment the rise in number of victims of common cold was approximately in parallel with the rise in urine quotient. As revealed by fluctuations in urine volume, urine titration acidity and phosphoric acid value, the rise in urine quotient values appears corresponding to the metabolic shift period in water and salts. In other words, it was noted that in the present experiments when the temperature in the tent dropped below 4∼5°C, the above mentioned equipment was inadequate to protect the subjects against the cold, and as a result the vitality of the living body was lowered and made vulnerable to diseases.