HUMAN RACIAL RESPONSES 



the distal digital volar pads was measured using the one set of 

 thermocouples which were always placed on comparable positions 

 on the fingers. 



Prior to tests the subjects slept overnight in a comfortable 

 environment at the laboratory. Standard procedures were followed 

 such that subjects were post-absorbtive and normothermal at the 

 time of tests. All tests were done between 0700 and 1000 hours in 

 the morning. Oral and rectal temperatures were taken and basal 

 oxygen consumption was measured while the subject remained in 

 bed. Immediately after the subject arose from bed he was instru- 

 mented and with arms in the dependent position the middle fingers 

 were immersed. 



In all tests the estimated intensity of pain sensations from 

 each immersed finger was recorded at each minute. (See pain inten- 

 sity scale on Figure 4.) "Maximum pain" is the highest single esti- 

 mate during the test, while "average pain" is the cumulative minute 

 total divided by the time (10 minutes). 



It must be emphasized that it is the responses of the control 

 fingers of the test subjects (habituated group) that are compared 

 with the responses of the right middle fingers of the other three 

 groups. Figure 4 shows that in the capability for maintaining 

 high finger temperature during ice water immersion the progres- 

 sion among the groups was Indian > habituated > control > starva- 

 tion (although the difference between the control and starvation 

 groups was not significant). The pain suffered by the habituated 

 and control groups was roughly the same, while that of the starva- 

 tion group was somewhat less, and in the Indians it was almost 

 negligible- Thus there was no simple relationship between pain and 

 finger temperature. 



Table III shows the relation between the energy states of the 

 subjects as they rested in bed just before the finger immersion 

 test and the average finger temperatures maintained in the ice 

 water. A direct relationship between metabolic rate and finger 



387 



