Abstract
At the XIIIth International Physiological Congress 1 a report was made of experiments on the effect of temperature on sensations caused by stasis and its release. Attention was directed entirely to sensations of temperature, but observations had also been made on tingling sensations, and the effects observed have been discussed with many workers. Since the detailed report of these experiments has been delayed in publication, it is desirable that a brief summary of the observations be communicated at this time.
Stasis was produced by a Riva Rocci armlet above the elbow, or by a similar compressing band at the base of one finger. The tissues submitted to stasis were cooled and warmed before, during, and after compression by immersion in rapidly stirred water at a constant temperature to allow thermal equilibrium to be attained. Immersion was continued for at least 20 minutes prior to induction of stasis.
The temperature of the peripheral part of the arm was found to modify profoundly the development of tingling sensations. Stasis to the arm for 5 minutes immersed in water at 24° gave practically no tingling sensation, but, if the forearm was immersed in water at 39°, tingling sensations were intense with the same duration of stasis. At still higher temperatures the tingling developed more rapidly, and very early became altered into a more intense, more continuous, less bearable sensation of somewhat different type. The subject interpreted the sensation as having an element of internal tension. Such sensations have been previously explained as due to pressure on the nerve trunks, but in our experiments no considerable alterations in the condition of these nerves above the water level can be assumed. The causation of the sensations must be peripheral.
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