Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1858-12-04
THE POISON WIND" IN AFRICA,

A Russian nobleman, who had been travelling
in Africa, gives the following account Of the Sam.
ieli, Simeon, or Poison Wind, which is such ah ob.
jest of interest aud terror to all classes and all ma.
lions. lie says
"Tbe Samieli is felt in The Desert from about the
middle OF June to the 2lst of September. II is eI'
pcrienced with n very violent southwest wind, and
m those days when the heat Of the sun is tho most
ardent. 1t is burning it comes in gusts mere Of
less scO:ching, of more or less duration each Oi
them, however, even The shortest, exceeds the time
that a man could hold his breath. This wind con.
siste in IL succession of burning and cool gusts. In
the first, there is frequently II double degree OF
heat and im2e,uosity. The difference between the
hot and cold gusts, according to my observation,
Is from I to 10 degrees. The highest degree Of
the hot gusts was 70 deg. of Fahrenheit the tenn.
perature in the sun, without the Samieli, having
been constantly from SO deg. to 81 deg. thought
| could observe that when this wind blows,a yellow
ish tiuge, inclining to livid, is difused through the
atmosphere and that, in its most violent periods
the sun becomes of a deep red. Its odor ia infec'
tious and sulphurous ; it is thick and heavy. and
when its heat increases, it almost causes sufoca
ton.
at occasions a pretty %copious perspiration, part
~ excited by the uncasiness which one feels, and
the difficulty with which one breathes on account
Of It's letid quality, This perspiration appears tt
me more dense and viscous than the natural per
spiratiou the wind itself deposits au upc,uous fu
I'd. The better to examine its qualities and its ma
ture, | opened my mouth to inhale it: the palate
and throat were instantly parcied. 1t produced
the same effect when Inhaled through the nostrils
but more slowly. To preserve ones self from it
and keep the respiration more free, it is usual t.
wrap up ,he face with a handkerchief. In passing
the tissue it loOses a part Of it's action and OF 1t
destructive principle, and besides, the breath keep
up a degree of humidity, and binders the burninI
air from suddenly penetrating into the mouth an
lungs. The Arabs, therefore, are accustomed, wba'
ever the heat may be, even in the shade, to wra
the whole body, not excepting the head, in tbei
meSeleh (cloak, if they desire to sleep. This win
causes, by the rarefactioh that attends it, q prett
strong agitation in the blood and this increases
movement soon brings on weakness. 1t in gene
raj produces on man two effects distinctly, chsraC
terized. 1t strikes him MORALLY with a kind @
a~sphyxy, or causes him q great debility.
THE corpse of a person so suffocated has thi
peculiarly, that in a few days or even hours, a
some Arabs affirm, the limbs separate at the joint
! with the slightest efforts, SO poweriul':s the nctio
3 of the poison on the muscular parts, giving an al
t~onishing activity to the progress of putrefactioI
Such Il corpse is reported contagious. l kno
nothing so terrible as this wind | felt it almoi
t constantly in the Desert, batting s,me interruI
y tons, one of which WINS for three days and thrt
n nights successfully. My interpreter, Mr.. Russo
e was struck by it, but escaped death by a discharl
e of blood, That which confirms what l have sai
l. of the separation of the limbs, is, that. having bee
t struck by this air. | was affected for some weel
with an extreme weakness and whenever the Ia
warm wind blew en- ME. l felt a great famine.
and perceived in my joints a relaxation Of the mt
d Giles.
- "Ihe dangers of the wind are guarded again
u by inhaling the fumes Of good vinegar, and cove
ing the face with the handkerchief. l asked t
Arabs if lying down on the ground was a press
y vative against it: they assured me it was not.
~ should be inclined myself to think it prejudicial