Proceedings, symposia on Arctic Biology and Medicine: v. Nutritional Requirements for Survival in the Cold and at Altitude, Vaughan, Lucile A., Editor. Arctic Aero-medical Laboratory, Fort Wainwright, Alaska; 363 pages, 1965.

This book contains the proceedings of a symposium held in March, 1965, at Fairbanks, Alaska. Participants from Europe, Japan, and the United States (including Alaska and Hawaii) presented eleven papers on various aspects of survival nutrition. Some of the material is reasonably technical in nature (dealing with various aspects of metabolism, fluid balance, and instrumentation) but the papers, along with the recorded discussions following each report, should be of interest to most mountaineers. One paper, by Dr. Kaare Rodahl, describes the known interrelationships between fitness, nutritional status, and physical performance—both in the cold and at normal temperatures. Dr. Terence Rogers describes research on arctic survival rations. In one seven-day study, subjects consumed either (A) no food; (B) sucrose plus salt (first day) or bicarbonate of soda (subsequent days) ; or (C) meat bars with the same caloric value as (B): 500 Calories per day. Every indication is that the sucrose plus salt/bicarbonate diet was the best in this near-starvation situation. It is significant that this diet is similar to the normal high altitude ration which consists largely of fluids plus sugar and, frequently, [salty] bouillon. There are many other interesting and practical ideas which pertain to nutrition and physical performance in polar expeditions, arctic survival situations, and high altitude mountaineering.

Thomas O. Nevison, Jr., M.D.