Abstract
IT has often been said that the inhabitants of arid regions seem to require far less fluid than non-indigenous visitors1, but opinions vary as to whether this discrepancy is attributable to ethnic differences in the inherent physiological mechanisms which are concerned with sweating and water metabolism, or to cultural-adaptive factors such as diet, clothing and mode of activity2–4. In an attempt to elucidate this problem, I and a Toureg nomad undertook a 500 mile journey in the Central Sahara, and I present here the observations which were made of our respective fluid requirements during this trek.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Kirmiz, J. P., Adaption to Desert Environments, 88 (Butterworths, London, 1962).
Kuno, Y., Human Perspiration, 416 (Thomas, Springfield, Illinois, 1956).
Edholm, O. G., and Bacharach, A. L., Exploration Medicine, 211 (Wright, Bristol, 1965).
Wyndham, C. H., et al., J. Appl. Physiol., 19, 885 (1964).
Lhote, H., Le Saraha-désert Mystérieux, 127 (Bourrelier, Paris, 1937).
Adolph, E. F., in Physiology of Heat Regulation, 330 (W. B. Saunders, Philadelphia, 1949).
Leithead, C. L., and Lind, A. R., Heat Stress and Heat Disorders, 143 (Cassell, London, 1964).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
BEIGHTON, P. Fluid Balance in the Sahara. Nature 233, 275–277 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1038/233275a0
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/233275a0
This article is cited by
-
Osmotic thirst suppression during 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP) hyperthermia in the dog
Pflügers Archiv European Journal of Physiology (1975)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.
