Role of skin and of core temperatures in man's temperature regulation

¹ Human Science Laboratory, Transvaal and Orange Free State Chamber of Mines, Johannesburg, South Africa

The response characteristics have been studied of the curves relating heat conductance and sweat rate to change in rectal temperature at different levels of skin temperature, and vice versa. The increase in these responses with deviation in rectal temperature from the "neutral" setting is highly nonlinear; the neutral point and the curve shift to the right and the slope decreases with lowering of skin temperature and vice versa when it is raised. With further deviation of rectal temperature these responses reach maximum values, i.e., become "saturated." All of these features are analogous to servomechanisms with negative feedback, giving sensitive and stable control. Control of these responses by skin temperature is more linear, characterizing passive control systems which are insensitive and less stable. Quantitatively, the effect at skin temperature of 26 C of 1 C rise in rectal temperature on heat conductance and sweat rate is 10 times greater than the same rise in skin temperature; at a neutral skin temperature of 33–34 C, a rise of 1 C in rectal temperature is 6–7 times greater; at a high skin temperature of 36 C, a rise in rectal temperature of 1 C is 4–5 times greater.

Submitted on October 22, 1963