Notes on temperature after spinal transection, with some observations on shivering

THE following observations on impairment of temperature regulation in the paraplegic dog have been obtained incidentally during work which required the keeping of such animals for periods relatively long. The severance of the spinal cord has been in every case performed under deep anesthesia and with full precautions against sepsis. The animals were housed in ample well-strawed stalls in a warmed room; their general health remained excellent. In some of them the spinal transection was situate as far forward as the cervical region. Since opportunity of this kind occurs infrequently, the observations, although desultory, may possess interest as extending to post-operation periods somewhat longer than are usual. The impairment of thermotaxis remains severe long after complete subsidence of the acute symptoms of "spinal" shock. A normal dog lightly anaesthetised and immersed up to its middle in ice-cold water for 10 minutes showed a fall of mouth temperature from 37.60 C. to 37.20 C. A small dog of approximately similar weight similarly immersed 530 days after spinal transection at 1st thoracic level, showed a fall of mouth temperature from 37.90 C. (taken in its stall at 27.50 C.) to 33.90 C. Again, similar immersion of an unaneesthetised normal dog of 4 kilos weight brought the mouth-temperature from 37.90 C. down to 37.20 C. in 18 mins.; while similar immersion of this same dog 30 days after spinal transection at 6th thoracic segment brought the mouth temperature from 37.50 C. down to 35.80 C. in 18 mins. Gardiner and Pembrey have pointed out how clearly the degree of impairment of thermotaxis in paraplegia is proportioned to the extent of the paralysis, i.e. is greater the further forward the seat of the spinal severance (cf. also (11)). Observation upon dogs with spinal severance at levels varying between 7th cervical and 3rd lumbar, and at periods subsequent to the transection varying from 21 days to 589 days, exemplifies this proportionality. Thus, Chart 1, three dogs, A, B and C, of