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HANDBOOK OF PHYSIOLOGY ^ CIRCULATION II 



fig. 4. Skin temperature measurements with a thermoelectric junction covered by adhesive plaster. 

 Fingers i?3 and Z.3 in air throughout. Finger In in crushed ice from 11 to 71 min, finger R2 from 

 16 to 71 min. The curves of temperature rise during immersion are in this case at first discordant, 

 but become concordant. [From Lewis (140).] 



and L-2 fingers were immersed in a mixture of crushed 

 ice and water, the immersion of R-2 being delayed for 

 5 min. The 7?3 and L3 fingers remained in air and 

 served as controls. The temperature of all digits 

 was measured by thermoelectric junctions, covered 

 by adhesive plaster; the thermal insulation of the 

 plaster enabled the junction to assume a temperature 

 different from that of the ice water with which it 

 would otherwise have been in direct contact. On 

 immersing the fingers, the temperature fell at first 

 abruptly and then more slowly to about 3 C. About 

 10 min from the start the temperature of both im- 

 mersed fingers began to rise. The rise was, in other 

 experiments, prevented by arrest of the circulation 



and it clearly indicated vasodilatation. The tem- 

 perature thereafter fluctuated slowly (the so called 

 "hunting reaction") and in the case shown the 

 fluctuations in the two fingers became synchronous, 

 although in other experiments initially synchronous 

 fluctuations sometimes became discordant. Following 

 removal from the ice water the immersed fingers 

 became warmer than the control fingers. 



A similar cold vasodilatation is strongly manifested 

 in the toes, the lobe of the ear, and the tip of the nose; 

 it is difficult to detect in the skin of the forearm, calf 

 of the leg, and on the dorsum of the hand and foot 

 (99, 140). Strong reactions are seen in the rabbit's 

 ear (98) and in the foot of the domestic fowl and 



