The main trends of Soviet medical investigations in Antarctica

Abstract

This chapter presents the trends of Soviet medical investigations in Antarctica. A broad range of investigation concerned with the process of human acclimatization to the severe natural conditions of the Antarctic has been undertaken by Soviet doctors. During the earlier expeditions, scientific investigations were mainly clinico-physiological and were carried out by physicians, but in recent years, the polar expeditions have usually included scientists engaged in highly specialized fields such as microbiology, hygiene, and psychology. This has led to a considerable increase in the scope of research. Natural environmental conditions vary widely in different regions of the Antarctic. According to bioclimatology, Antarctic has been divided into coastal zone, zone of the Antarctic slope, and the zone of the Central Antarctic. The differences in natural conditions influence the whole structure of stations and their organization and, hence, the pattern of acclimatization. It is important to consider the location of the station when comparing the scientific data of different authors, otherwise quite invalid conclusions may be drawn.