Evaporative cooling of men in wet clothing.

Three groups of men wearing the CBR protective uniform were exposed to six conditions of varying heat, humidity, wind, exercise, and initial water content of the clothing. Each condition was repeated with and without a 2-mg dose of atropine sulfate. In troops wearing the CBR protective uniform who inject a 2-mg dose of atropine into themselves on the mistaken assumption of an exposure to an anticholinesterase agent, the rise in rectal temperature caused by the inhibition of sweating by atropine can be kept within safe limits if exercise is avoided and the clothing is wet with sweat at the time of injection.