Alabama state intelligencer., 1831-11-12

1 sraagem in catching lheir prey, particularly those of the serpent tribe.
 Captain Parry mentions young Esqumaux, who consumed in twenty-one hours, 10 lbs oz. of solid food, one gallon and pint of water. with a pint of soup; another in nineteen hours 9 lbs. 15 oz. solid food, and one and half gallons of water.
 Ills diseases correspond to his mode of living hemorrheges and fever are common, from excessive repleton.
 The mind of the Esquimaux partakes of the rude character of the climate in which he lives: debased by the grossest ignorance and selfslness, it seems to reflect the baren desolate, and dreary features of his country. He can form no abstract ideas, nor count above 10. Chilled by the rigors of the cold, he feels no sympathy or affection for the suffering but leaves the members of his own family, when diseased, to famish and die It is under the opera ton of such physical agents, we have described above, that instinct becomes the paramount princi- pie of the nature of man. His climate in reducing his form to such pigmy stature, counteracts that evil by mparting to his character bodness and in trepdity, that makes him delight in deeds of peri ous enterprise and hardy adventure. Nature denies bm the abundance of food or that repose from phy- sical exerton that could dispose him to mental cult vation He knows no motive to action bot hunger acknowledges no law but self-preservadon. The highest reach of mental exerton is the construction of his fishing tackle or his boat. The tender sym pathies of his nature frozen mp in tn. morning of his existence; and in the meridian d life, his heart is as calous and cold the huge icberg that drifts the wide waste of waters, crusiing every thing before it.
 Breathing an atmosphere whose temIerature is often reduced to the astonishing declenson of 50 degrees below the freezing point, he requires the of all the means that nature affords, to couneract it's chilling and deadly effects Life is one continued, uninterrupted struggle against the rigor of the eli mate. Nature has placed within his reach that sort of food that is best calculated to stimulate and tain him. It consists of the flesh of the whale and seal; and the oil in the quaffing of which he en- yes not the taste of the refined European, or the highly seasoned dish of the voluptuous Asiatc. 1 shall now attemptto give what conceive to be the rationale or ratio Symptomatnm. And this is to be found in the sedatve and simplifying effects of cold; in the rigor of the atmosphere, and the city of food Cold is the absence of heat; and acts if may be allowed the expression, by constring ing the vessels of the skin in rapidly c,rrying off the caorc of the system in diminishing irterial ton in paralizng the muscular powers ofthe frame and benumbng all the faculties of body, well as mind. Under its influence man becomes sluggish averse to motion, and prone 10 sloth and inactivity Dr Solander, who accompanied Captain Cook and Sir Joseph Banks in their voyage around the world was exposed to eminent danger from coli. He had ascended mountain of Terra del Fugo, for the purpose, believe, of making some meteorological discoveries, and was overtaken by snow storm- The cold became so intense that he, with those in company, resolved to return Many O the party were soon overcome with stupor and sleep, and fell down, never to rise. The Doctor himself soon lmplored his friends to permit him to sleep; but they hurried him along and he was finally rescued {: for sleep in this situation is the sleep of death.- The Count De Segur, in his narrative ofthe French expedition to Russia, paints the terrible suffering of the retreating army in vivid and horrible colors.- Cold and hunger (says he) had combined to exhaust their powers on the gallant soldier. Such was the severity of the cold, that in passing through villages houses would be red and the light attrcting those who had become delrious from hunger md in sem sible by cold, they would rush, laughing like de- mons, into the flames, and perish in the confagra- tion. Others again, overpowered by sbep, would fling themselves on the ground, and become stlffened and eless corpses. No arm was extend- ed to rescue; no eye moistened witt the tender tear of sympathy; but suenness, gloom md despair brooded on every brow; and brutal instinct steeled each heart against brothers woe. Itwas not the fierce Cossack of the Don, nor the combined egions of the Holy Alliance, that defeated Napoleon in | his mad career, hut the tell Genus of the North | Winter, stern Winter. with all its horrd train of storms and snows. Man he had subdued; but he could not with Heaven. He had teted the prowess of man. and conquered him; but le knew not the ferceness of elemental srife He be- lieved himself nvincble, until his Tightening blade was, at once, struck from his powerless gnsp, and his glory shrouded forever in the chilling snow of the north. Such the effect of cold upoi the hu- man frame. Man, instinctively under its effects, selects that food that will stimulate him. and arouse the dormant powers of life. The food which may be considered paJulum ritG-essential to mans ex- stence in atmosphere 30 degrees below tie freez- ing point, would, in climate whose atmosphere was 100 above exat too highly the animal powers, and produce disease and death
 One of the most extraordinary effects of climate is the production of Goitre, Cretinism, disease that entails upon man and his posterity owarfsh stature, and hebitude of intellect not founl in any other condition. It exists among the peasants who inhab the valleys of the Alps in Piedmont Caru- thia and Valais, and in those of Switzerland. It is known by an enormous enlargement of the thyroid | gland of the neck, some cases of which have seen in this country. The inhabitants attribute to the drinking of snow water, and some to the us. of wa ter mpregnated with calcarous earth but tlis IS roneous-it does not depend upon the quali' of the water drank, but upon breathing cold, humid and moist atmosphere. The Valleys of the Alps are deep and damp, surrounded by, mountains hat are covered with eternal snow. The heat received in them is reflected. The air is heavy, and seldom agltatcd by those agents that purify and eshen the large body of the surrounding atmosphere
 The uniortsnate subject of this maladyis scarcely grade above the vegetable even his insbnclive ap pitencies are dull, and soon become so istless and sluggish that they do not make the least txertion tC seize cup of water placed within thei reach, al though nearly dying with thirst Others again whc are not so completely under the power of the mala dy indulge in every species of sensuality Theil actions are nstnciive, and tend only to selfgratf cation. As the disease judgments, the mind becomes invaded; the last ray of reason IS quenched and ia tuity closes the miserable existence of the unortu nate cretn The troops of Napoleon, who were en gagged in constructing roads the Alps, for the transportation of his armies into Italy became effect ed with this malady, and were cured by being re- moved to purer atmosphere.
 On the qualities of the atmosphere we breath, de bends our comfort and health. The air of mountan ous regions is peculiarly envigorating; it mparts tenacity to the animal flores, and developes the mus