A text-book on hygiene and pediatrics from a chiropractic standpoint

by J. H. Craven

Warm Moist Air

Workers fatigue much more easily when in warm moist atmosphere. Work is done much more rapidly in cool dry air and the efficiency of the worker is noticeably raised; in warm damp air the bodily temperature rises and the pulse rate increases.

Mental and physical activities are reduced in an atmosphere of high humidity and increased temperature. This is due mainly to the reluctance on the part of the individual to put forth an effort sufficient to perform any great amount of work. There is a general feeling of languor because of the enervating effect of the air.

There is no serious injury resulting from working in such an atmosphere, unless there is an increase in the bodily temperature, and then there may be serious results to the health unless relief is obtained. When the humidity has reached the point of complete saturation and the temperature is above 88° F., compensation can no longer obtain through evaporation and heat stroke may result. The most noticeable effect of warm moist air under ordinary circumstances is reluctance to put forth any mental or physical exertion, and a loss of appetite. With a temperature at 75° F. and the relative humidity 80%, an individual not accustomed to such will require complete rest.

It will be noticed that under such conditions Innate Intelligence is constantly working to bring about intellectual adaptation and that she is able to do so to a remarkable degree. The glands of the body are used to produce secretions which constantly bathe the tissues and keep them cool in the high temperatures, and at a proper degree of warmth in the low temperatures. The fact that the individual is indisposed to mental and physical activity in such an atmosphere is adaptative on the part of Innate. This inactivity is suggested by means of the languid feeling in order that the body will not be over-exercised and thus will not increase the amount of heat in the body; because under these circumstances the process of evaporation is interfered with and this is one of Innate’s principal means of regulating the temperature of the body.

Perspiration is an adaptation on the part of Innate, for in this way the surface of the body is kept moist and as this moisture evaporates the body is cooled; otherwise the temperature of the body would increase with every rise in the temperature of the atmosphere. Not only does this help to regulate the bodily temperature, but it keeps the surface tissue of the body soft. If there was no perspiration, the surface of the body would soon become dry, parched and hard. The skin would become scaly and would crack and become chafed.

Because of these adaptative processes it is possible for the body to be adjusted to great extremes in temperature. The body may become accustomed to extremely high temperatures even with high relative humidity, providing the change takes place gradually and sufficient time is allowed for the processes of adaptation to take place.

It is very important that the kidneys be able to perform their normal function in order that these processes of adaptation may take place. The kidneys are important not only because of the function which they perform in the excretion of poisons, but because of the function which they perform in relation to the serous circulation. This is important because of the secretions that are involved. This subject will be treated more fully under the subject of Water.