Changes in the Skin Temperature and Electrical Skin Resistance Following Ingestion of Red Pepper

고온환경에서의 한국인 작업능력 - 고추가 피부의 온도 및 전기저항에 미치는 영향 -

In order to investigate the changes in the temperature regulation mechanism following ingestion of red pepper, twenty healthy man were given 2 gms of powdered red pepper each in 100 ml of water at room temperature, $20^{\circ}C$, Simultaneous recordings of temperature and electrical resistance of the skin of forehead were taken by means of Physiograph, using appropriate transducers. Temperature of various spots such as the cheek, upper tack and the forearm was also measured by the telethermometer at interval of two minutes. The results obtained were as follows: 1. Seventeen out of 20 subjects showed immediate rise in the skin temperature of the forehead, and 11 of them manifested the oscillating pattern of the skin temperature. The average of the largest peak amplitude was $0.58{\pm}0.355^{\circ}C$. 2. Even those who failed to show the immediate rise in the temperature did not keep the quiescence over 9 minutes, and delayed responses were revealed. 3. The rise in tile skin temperature is the favourable sign for the heat discipating mechanism only because the sweat glands are activated with the concomittant rise in the temperature of the skin. 4. There was a preceding or coincide fall in the electrical resistance of the skin, and it was also attributed to the glandular activity. 5. At rather cool room temperature, $20^{\circ}C$, no visible sweat was seen during the period of observation. Nevertheless it was obvious that latent activation of the sweat glands was triggered and the. threshold was lowered. This situation imitates the acclimatized condition in the hot environment, and it is likely to increase the tolerance in tropical climate from the view point of temperature regulation.