The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-05-02
TESTS SHOW FAT
MEN ENDURE
HEAT,BEST
Increasing Pulse Rate Causes
More Discomfort Than
High Temperature.

PITTSBURGH, May Fiat men
endure high temperature ana hu'
mildly better than thin men. TINS
fact has been proved In scientIlc
research conducted by the Amerl'
can Society of Heating and Ventllat'
ing Engineers. in cooperation with
the United States Bureau OF Mines
and Carnegie Institute of Tech
nolopy. In experiments to deter
mine the relative effect of various
temperatures and humidities on the
human body, the scientists also
found that sweat is the chief factor
causing sore eyes when a person
becomes heated.
Another common belief was blast.
ed during the experiments when
they found that the drinking of ice
water failed to develop cramps in
the men after they had been SUBJ
1ected to an hours exposure to high
temperature.
Hardship in Experiments.
The object of the research work
In Pittsburgh is to establish, by
scientific study, the exact degree
Of temperature and OF humidity or
comfort lines" a person should
be subjected to in room. The
problem was first attacked several
years ago, and the research work
has now reached point where def
mite results have been obtained by
the society, which has had the CO.
operation, also, of the United States
Public Health Service. The first
experiments have been to study
the physiological effects of various
temperatures and humidities on hu.
man subjects at rest in still air,
and for these, a staff of physicians
and employees of the society have
subjected themselves to great hard
ships. The laboratories, located in
the Pittsburgh station of the Blu
reau of Mines, have been partially
equipped by the Carnegie Institute
OF Technology.
One of the important results of
the experiments was the discovery
of the great variations of external
temperature which the human being
can endure, and at the same time,
retain his physiological efficiency.
Another fact discovered was that
increasing pulse-rate is more the
cause of discomfort than is body
temperature, when in a heated
room.
Sweat Inflames Eyes.
In a report of the experiments,
Just issued, are these assertions:
''While irrelevant to the present
study, an attempt was made to de-
termine the cause of the inflam.
nation of the eyes and also to find
out whether or not the drinking of
ice water produces cramps, as so
frequently complained of by work
erS in the industries
ION a day when the eyes were
normal, small quantity of sweat
which had been collected during an
experiment, was dropped in the eye.
The conjunctiya almost Immediately
became inflamed and the eye felt
sore. The sweat collected from the
face seemed less irritable to the
eye than that collected either from
the chest or arms. Sweatbands
were then applied to the forehead
during the experiments, these pre-.
venting the sweat from falling into
the eyes, and also prevented inflam-
nation. This proves sufficiently
that the sweat is the chief factor
In producing the conjunctivitis
which accompanies exposure to
heat.
No Cramps in Ice Water.
1T has frequently been stated
that workers exposed to high tenn.
peratures developed severe cramps
after drinking ice water. A few of
the subjects of these experiments
to drink ice water after
about an hours exposure to high
temperature, and two of them, in
one experiment, drank a quart of
ice water in less than fifteen min
utes without i'll effects. Cramps
did not develop in any Of the sub
jects at any time"
On entering and leaving the spe-
cially heated chamber, the report |
shows. loss of weight varied with |
the individual, the heavier and |
stouter man losing more than the |
light and thin one. Notwithstand- |
ing this, the lighter man as a rule |
could not endure the temperature |
conditions as long, and complained |
more of the exhaustion which fol. |
lowed.