Grand River times. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1851-18??, 1851-08-27

THE SIMooN.-The effects of the Simeon are
instant suffocation to every living creature that
happens to be within the sphere of its activity,
and immediate putrfacton Of the carcasses of
the dead. The Arabans discern its approach
by an unusual rcdness in the air, and they say
that they feel and smell of sulphur as it passes.
The only means by which any person can pre-
serve himself from suffering by these noXious
blasts, is by throwing himself down, with his
face upon the earth, till this whirlwind of pois-
onous exhalation has passed over, which always
moves at certain height in the atmosphere
Istimct even teaches the brutes to incline their
heads to the ground on these occasions.
The Arabs of the desert call these winds Sc
NOUN or poison, and the Turks shan,yeIaw or
wind of SYRIA, fren which is formed samiel.-
Their heat is sometimes so excessive, that it is
difficult to form any idea of its violence, with
out having experienced it; but it may be COM
pared to the heat of large oven at the mo-
ment of drawing out the bread. When these
winds begin to blow, the atmosphere assumes
an alarming aspect. The sky, at other
times so clear in this climate, becomes dark
and heavy and the sun loses his spendor, and
appears Of violet color. The air is not cloudy,
but grey and thick, and is in fact filled with an
extremely subtle dust which penetrates every
where This wind, always light and rapid is
not at first remarkably hot, but increases in heat
in proportionas it continues. All animated bod
les soon discover it, by the change it produces
in them. The lungs, which a too refined air no
longer expands, are contracted, and become
painful. Respiration is short and difficult,
parched and dry. the body is consumed by an
internal heat In vain is recourse had to large
draughts Of water nothing can restore perspi-
ration In uoir ic oonIpaoo cnu0hf Co oil bod
les in which it is usual to find it, deceive the
hand that touches them. Marble, iron, water,
Notwithstanding the sun no longer appears, are
hot. The streets are deserted, and the dead si-
lence Of night reigns everywhere. The inhab-
itants of cities and villages shut themselves
up in their houses, and those of the desert in
their tents, or in pits they dig, where they wait
the termination of the destructive heat. ltusu-
ally lasts three days, but if exceeds that time it
becomes insupportable. Wo to the traveller
whom this wind surprises remote from shelter!
he must suffer all its dreadful consequences,
which sometimes are mortal. The danger is
most imminent when it blows in squalls, for the
rapidity of the wind increases the heat to such
a degree as to cause sudden death. This death
is real suffocation; the lungs being empty, are
convulscd, the circulation disordered, and the
whole mass of the blood driven by the heat to-
wards the head and breast whence that hem-
orrage at the nose and mouth which happens
after death. The wind is especially fatal to per-
| sons of pethoric habit, and those in whom fa-
tigue has destroyed the muscles and the vessels.
The corpse remains long time warm, swels,
turns blue, and is easily separated all of which
are signs of that putrid fermentation which takes
place in animal bodies when the humors be-
come stagnant. These accidents are to be
avoided by stopping the nose and mouth with
handkerchiefs an eicacous method is that
likewise by the camels, who bury their noses
in the sand and keep them there till the storm
| is over
Another quality of this wind is extreme ar
idity which is such, that water sprinked on the
floor evaporates in few minutes By this ex-
treme dryness, it withers and strips all the
plants; and by exhalng too suddenly the eman-
tions from animal bodies, crisps the skin, closes
the pores, and causes that feverish heat which
is the invariable effect of suppressed perspi.
ration.
DO you see that fellow lounging there do.
ing nothng!" said Owen to Jenkins, the other
day UXoo hou Jnac ha I;yo 80 Wbv ba In, q