The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-08-02
THE INFLUENCE OF ARCTIC COLD
ON MN.

From the London Medical Record, July 1871
Lieutenant Payer, the Austrian Arctic explorer,
has been laying some the results OF his explora-
lions before the Geographical Society or Vienna.
Referring TO the influence OF extreme cold On the
human organism, he related that On March IL,
1874, he and MS companions made q sledge Jour-
neY over the Semklar glacier, IN order 10 make
observations oil Francis Joseph Land. On that
DAY me cold marked 40 deg. (Reaumur) below
zero. Notwithstanding this Intense cold NJ.
Payer ana Tyro!ese went out before sunrise to
maze observations aud sketch. The sunrise was
magnificent; the sun seemed surrounded as 1T
does at hlNh degree OF cold, by small suns, ana
rs llgnt appeared more daZzung from the CONTRAST
win the eXprcme cola. The travellers were
ODlI {ed 70 pour rum down thelF thrOat5
as NOT 10 touch the edge of the metal cups,
winch would have Oeen as dangerous as IL
thcy mad been red hot; but tho mad lost all It's
strength ana hGuldlty and was a. fiat and thick
OIL. IL was Iiar OSsIbic 10 smoke elther cigars
or tobacco IN short pipes, f0f very soon nothtng
but piece OF Ice remained la the mouth. The
metal OF the instruments WAS just Ike req ho6
iron 10 the touch, as were some lOckets, which
some OF the travellers romautlcaly, but lmpru-
aently, c2nLuued to Wear next tue SKIN. M.
Payer says that so great an amount OF cold para
1zes the wlll, and tnat under Its influence men,
rom the ulsteaelness OF their gait their stam-
merlng talk ana tue slowness OF their mental
operations, seem IS II tney were intoxicated.
Another Meet 0! cold Is tormeDtlng thirst which
Is due 10 tue eva Orauoh Of the mols ture OF the
Oody. 10 as unWhOlesOme TO use snow 10 queNch the
thirst, as 1t brings on III Elimination OF the throat,
palate ana tongue, beeiees, enough can never
be tGken TO quench the thirst. as a temperature
OF % uCgrees 10 80 degrees below zero InakeSv
H. taste IKE molten metal. snow eaters IN the
North are considered feeble and eleminate, in
the same way an opium cater the East.
The groups OF travellers VINO traVersed the snow
/ fields were surrounded by thick YapOra formed by
the emanauons rom their podles which became
cOndenssQ, Rotwtthstd uding the turs IN which the
travellers enVeiOgcd. These Vapors Tell to
the ground with sllgnt noise, frozen into the
form OF small crystals ana rendered tne atmoa-
I phere timex, impenetr aDe ana dark. EOtWlth-
standing the humidity OF the air a al5agreeable
sensation OF drynes5 was felt. Every sound dii-
fused Itself to very long dis anCe. an ordinary
conversation could be heard at hundred PAGES
Oh, Whlle the report Of guns from the top Ci nigh
mountains could scarcely DC heard.
NJ Payer explains this phenomenon by tue .arge
quantity OF moisture III the Arctic atmosphere.
Meat could be chopped and mercury used IA the
shape OF balls. Both smell ana taste become
greatly enleebed IN these attitudes strength
gives way under the paralyzug influence OF the
cold, the eyes inyoluntarlly ctose ana become
frozen. When locomOtlOn stops the sole or the
foot becomes insenspie, IL IS somewhat CURIOUS
that tue beard does not freeze, but tBs IS ex-
planned from the air expired falling Immediately
trans .Ogmed into snow. The cold causes dark
boards TO become lignteF; the secretion OF the
eyes and nose always increases, while tbs iOrma-
ton OF the preparation altogether ceases. Tho
only possibly protection against the cCld 10 be
very warmly clothed, and to endeavOr as mucn as
possible 10 prevent the condensation OF the armOs-
phere, While the much Wanted pans OF auOlnt-
ing ana blackeulng tue BODY are pronounced to
nave no real value.