Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1875-10-16
REMARKABLE EFFECT OF ARCTIC
COLD ON Man. -. =

| Aieutenant fayer, the Australian
Arctic explorer, has been laying some
OF the results Of his explorations before
the Geographical Saciety of Vienna.
Referring to the influence of extreme
cold on the human ,organization.yhe,r re-
lated that on March IA, 1874, he and
his companions made O sledge journey
over the Semiklar glacier, in order to
make observations of Francis Joseph
land. On that day the cold marked
58' Fab. below zero. Notwithstanding
this intense cold, NJ Payer and .Ty-
rolese went out before sunrise TO make
observations and SKETCH, ito9v s@to
The sunrise was magnificent; the sun
appeared surrounded, as It does at a
high degree Of cold, by small suns, and
it's light appeared more dazzling from
the contrast with the extreme cold. ~
The. travellers were obliged 10 pour
rum down their throats SO as not to
touch the edge Of the metal cups, which
would have been rs dangerous as if
they had been red hot; but the rum
had lost all strength and liquidity, and
was as Hat and thick as oil. ~
The, metal ot the instruments was
Just like red hot iron to the touch. as
were some lockets which some of the
travellers romantically, but imprudently,
continued to wear next the skin.
NJ. Payersays that so great an amount
Of cold paralyzes the will, and that, un-
der its influence, men, from the un-,
steadiness OF their gait, their stammer-
ing falkland the slowness Of their men
tai operations, seem as il they were in
toxicated. r .at -7H q 3 !.
Another effect of cold ia tormenting
thirst, which is due to the evaporation
OF the moisture of the body. ;i
It is unwholesome to use snow to
quench the thirst; it brings on inAama-
ton Of the throat, palate and tongue.
Besides, enough can never be taken to
quench the thirst, as temperature of
355o TO $50 below zero, Fab, makes il
taste like molten metal. Snow eaters
in the North are considered as feeble
and effeminate, in the same way as is
an opium eater IN the East. BY
The group OF travellers who traversed
the snow fields We're surrounded by
thick vapors formed by emanations
from their bodies, which became con-
densed, Notwithstanding the furs in
which the travellers were enveloped.
These vapors fell to the ground, with
slight noise, frozen into the form of
small crystals. Notwithstanding the
humidity Of the air, o disagreeable SEN
sation of dryness was felt. nj. II Yel
Every sound diffused itself to very
long distance; an ordinary conversation
could beheard at hundred PAGES off,
while the reports of guns from the tops
of high mountains could scarcely be
heard. M. Payer explains this phe-
nomenon by the large quantities OF
moisture in the Arctic atmosphere.
Meat IS chopped, and mercury is used
in the shape of balls.
( Both smell and taste become greatly
enfeebled in these latitudes; strength
gives way under the paralyzing infu-
ence of the cold; the eyes involuntarily
close and become frozen. When loco
motion stops, the sole of the foot be-
comes insensible. F e~'4
The only possible protection against
the cold is TO be warmly clothed, and
to endeavor as much as possible to pre-
vent the condensation of the atmos-
phere, while the much vaunted plans |
Of amounting and blackening the body |
are pronounced to have no real merit.
Scientific AmericG,t. ti-Df a@a'a'5#h 81