Abstract
Summary
On the basis of Hensel's account of thermal sense organs, it may be postulated that adequate stimulus for shivering is a combination of the rate at which cold sensitive end-organs are discharged, the number stimulated, and the thermal state of the center. In some experiments, Subjects drank cold water to lower deep body temperature before the start of room cooling. Skin and deep body temperatures, oxygen uptake, and finger blood flow were measured. In 4 subjects, the sequence of events with room cooling at 0.6°C/minute from 25°C was: skin cooling, reduced blood flow, shivering, and increased oxygen uptake. Lowered deep body temperature does increase the tendency to shiver. At no time did shivering reach a level to maintain total body temperature. Onset of shivering was related to regions of body exposed. Covering the thorax delayed its onset longer than covering the legs. The geometric areas exposed were comparable, a difference existing in the number of cold spots/cm2
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