The temporal patterns of central and skin temperature may provide important predictive and diagnostic information during the recovery period from major surgery. Experimentally it is found that large changes in toe temperature occur at a predictable time, early in the postoperative period. These changes reflect cardiovascular dynamics and are related to modern concepts of thermoregulation. In order to explore the contribution of time-varying blood flow to heat transfer, a heat-transfer model was applied to the great toe. This model allowed prediction of toe blood flow rate from measurements of the central and skin temperatures. Experimental verification of the analytically determined blood flow rates was made using a modified technique of venous occlusion plethysmography.