MILAN 



above DuBois standards. Metabolism increased 30% during the night; 

 and skin and rectal temperatures declined as in the previous study. 

 It was concluded that meager evidence for general metabolic and 

 thermal adaptation was found by methods which revealed important 

 differences in naked Australians and warmly dressed Lapps. 



Response of extremities to cooling. Eisner etal. (1960) studied 



the transfer of heat via the circulation of blood to the hands of Old 



Crow Indian males. In the first experiment nine Indians and eight 



Caucasian controls immersed their right hands in 5 C water for 30 



o 

 minutes after a control period of 30 minutes in 30 C water. These 



experiments were done with the subjects clothed in a warm room and 

 unclothed in a warm room. The Indian hands transferred a signifi- 

 cantly greater amount of heat to the water in both the warm and cold 

 environments. In a second experiment, six Indians and five controls 

 immersed the right hands in ice water. The Indian group had a more 

 rapid rewarming and suffered less pain. 



Meehan (1955), quoted earlier, reported warmer finger tem- 

 peratures in ice water in Fort Yukon natives as compared to those 

 of Caucasian controls. 



Physical fitness. Anderson et al. (1960) investigated the physi- 

 cal fitness of eleven male Indians from Old Crow. Respiratory gas 

 exchange and heart rate during steady state exercise were meas- 

 ured. The response of extra ventilation to a standard exercise load 

 was also determined. The results showed that the Indians occupied 

 an intermediate position between young sedentary Norwegians and 

 Norwegian athletes in their fitness for work. 



Athapascan Indian summary. Basal metabolic rates are the 

 same in Athapascans as in Caucasians when compared to "lean 

 weight" (Irving etal., 19 60), but 14% higher than Benedict's standard, 

 and 10% above DuBois standard values (Eisner et al,, 1960). 



Indians showed no difference in metabolic and thermal reactions 

 when compared to Caucasian controls that were exposed to low 



344 



