The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1875-08-20
EHects of Arctic Cold Oh Man.

Lieut.. Payer, the Austrian Arctic Elk
plorer, says the London Medical Record,
has been laying some of the results of his
explorations before the Geographical So
ciety of Vienna. Referring to the in
fluence of extreme cold on the human
organism, he related that on March ii,
1874, he and his companions made
sledge journey over the Semiklar glacier,
in order to make observations of Francis
Joseph land. One day the cold marked
40 degrees (Reaumur) below zero. Not
withstandirg this intense cold M. Payer
and Tyrolese went out before sunrise
TO make observations and sketch. The
sunrise was magnificent F.; the sun seemed
surrounded, as it does at a high degree
of cold, by small suns, and its light ap-
peared more dazzling from the contrast
with the extreme cold. The travellers
were obliged to pour rum down their
Threats so rs not to touch the edge of
the metal cups, which would have been
as dangerous as if they had been red
hot but the rum had lost all its strength
and liquidity, and was as fiat and thick
as oil. 1t was impossible to smoke
either cigars or tobacco in shore pipes,
for very soon nothing but piece of ice
remained in the mouth. The metal of
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
to the skin. NJ. Payer says that so great
an amount of cold paralizes the will, and
that under its influence men, from the
unsteadiness of their gait, their STAN
toll a., e Al.
mental operations, seem as if they were
intoxicated. Another effect of cold is a
tormenting thirst, which is due to the
evaporation of the moisture of the body. 1t
is unwholesome to use snow TO quench the
thirst, as it brings on inflammation of the
throat, palate and tongue. Beside,
enough can never be taken to quench
the thirst, as temperature of thirty de-
grees to forty degrees below zero makes
1t taste like molten metal. Snow eaters
in the North are considered as feeble
and effeminate, in the same way as an
opium eater in the East. The groups of
travellers who traversed the snow fields
were surrounded by thick vapors formed
by the carnations from their bodies,
which became condensed, notwithstand-
lHS tlit liilo III lnc tIdNtlclo were
enveloped. These vapors fell to the
ground with slight noise, frozen into
the form of small crystals, and rendered
the atmosphere thick, impenetrable, and
dark. Notwithstanding the humidity
of the air, disagreeable sensation of
dryness was felt. Every sound diffused
itself to very long distance, an ordi-
nary conversation could be heard at 4
hundred PAGES off, while the report of
guns from the top of high mountains
could scarcely be heard
NJ. Payer explains this phenomenon
by the large quantity of moisture in the
arctic atmosphere. Meat could be
chopped and mercury used in the shape
of balls. Both smell and taste become
greatly enfeebled in these ATTITUDES,
strength gives way under the paralyzing
influence of the cold, the eyes involun-
tarily close and become frozen. When
locomotion stops the sole of the foot be-
comes insensible. 1t is somewhat curl
Gus that the beard does not freeze, but
this is explained from the air expired
falling Immediately transformed into
snow. The cold causes dark boards to
become lighter; the secretion of the
eyes and nose always increases, while
the formation of the Precipitation en-
tirely ceases. The only possible protec-
ton against the cold is to be very warm
ly clothed, and to endeavor as much as
possible to prevent the condensation of
the atmosphere, while the much-vaunted
plan of amounting and blackening the
body are pronounced to have no real
value.