This study was performed to inquire into recognition of cold and heat application. The subjects in the study were 429 adults who were collected by disproportional quota sampling according to age, sex. The instrument was 36 questions that constitured closed questions and semiopened questions that encluded general characteristics, recognition of cold and heat applications. and what will you do when requested cold and heat applications on abdomial and perineal areas. Data were collected from september 25 to October 25, 1998. Data was analysed by SPSS/win, into frequency, Pearson correlation, t-test, ANOVA. The results were following. 1) The subjects consisted of male and female who was from teenage to fifty year old above. According to general characteristics, who endureed moderate cold-heat application, had constitutional fever, good sweat, and taked a cold bath accationally. And the woman think that their body were more cold than man. and the number of cold bath was less than man. Woman felt more harder than man that endured exposing cold. According to the recognitions of cold-heat applications, the 61.9% of the subjects think that cold application is more positive, and the 61.7% of the subjects think that heat application is more positive. 2) The subjects think that oral cavity, abdomen, back, extremes must be warm. 3) The percents of cold or heat application at abdomen were 77.4%, 86.5% respectely and the percents of cold or heat application at perineum were 56.9%. 93.6% respectely. With the above results. we know that the subjects have the fixed perceptions that each body part has to maintain its temperature. especially, they think that postpartum care is correlated with cold-heat application. So when we intervent nursing care, we also must regard their recognitions of cold and heat applications. and we need to educate and explain correctly about cold-heat application.