Because it is unethical to mimic various combined stressors (which may be lethal) in human subjects, anecdotal evidence and clinical case histories are the sole sources of survival and endurance data. Although lacking rigorous scientific controls, these sources may suggest various levels of human endurance and may give insight into various other mechanisms that might be at work as a person becomes hypothermic. Furthermore single case histories are valuable because they present issues that may never appear in a controlled laboratory situation. A specific example of physiological insight gained from field experiences is paradoxical undressing, which is associated with many dead victims of hypothermia. The cause of the undressing is unknown, but it indicates an area of additional research. A note of caution is warranted, however. Rescuers should be wary of undocumented anecdotal stories of persons who can ithstand extremely cold environments for prolonged periods. Most of these cases, when studied thoroughly, suggest that the stories are fraught with contradictions or outright falsification.
Challenges for the Military in Future Cold Weather Operations
Although the basic mechanisms of thermoregulation in a cold environment are well documented there are a number of unanswered physiological questions and challenges that military medical science will have to address. From a military perspective, with the possibility of chemical-biological warfare ever present, the greatest threat to military personnel will be to protect themselves from these agents. Thus, soldiers in cold weather operations who are enclosed in mission-oriented protectiv posture (MOPP 4) gear face a number of hazards (1) the toxic environment, (2) the dangers on the battlefield, (3) the build-up of core temperature as they are encapsulated in impermeable protectiv clothing, and (4) decreased core temperature as the when they fa peripheral and core temperatures remove the MOPP 4 ensemble.