The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1875-08-26
Effects of Arctic Cold on Man.

LIEUT.. PAYER, the Austrian arctic ex-
plorer, says the London Medical Record,
has been laying some of the results of his
explorations before the Biographies
Society of Vienna Referring to the in
f1uence of extreme cold on the human
organism, he related that on March IA,
1874, he and his companions made
sledge journey over the Semiklar glacier,
in order to make observations of Francis
Joseph Land. On thatday the cold marked
forty degrees Reaumur) below Zero Not
withstanding this intense cold NJ. Payer
and Tyrolese went out before sunrise to
make observations and sketch. The sun
rise was magnificent; the sun seemed sur
rounded, as it does at a high degree of
cold, by small suns, and its light appeared
more dazzling from the contrast with the
extreme cold. The travellers were obliged
to pour rum down their throats so as 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 flat
and thick as oil. 1t was impossible
to smoke either cigars or tobacco in short
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 Economically,
but imprudentlv, continued to wear next
the skin. NJ. Payer says that so great an
amount of cold paralyzes the will, and
that under its influence men, from the I'M
steadiness of their gait, their stammering
talk and the slowness of their mental OPP
erations, seem as if they were intoxicated.
Another effect of cold is tormcnting
thirst, which is due to the evaporation OF
the moisture of the body. 1t is unwhole,
some 10 use snow to quench the thirst, as
it brings on inflammation of the throat,
palate and tongue Besides, enough can
never be taken TO quench the thirst, as
temperature Of thirty degrees to forty de-
grees below zero makes it taste like
molten metal. Snow eaters in the North
are considered as feeble and clfeminatc in
the same way as an opium-eatcr III the
East. The groups Of travellers who
traversed the snow fields were surrounded
by thick vapors formed by the emanations
from their bodies, which became con
dcnscd, notwithstanding the furs in which
the travellers were envclopcd These
vapors fell to the ground with slight
noise, frozen into the form Of small crys-
-, 4 ,n,,1,r,l ut, tl,i,ly
impenetrablc and dark. Notwithstanding
the humidity Of the air, Il disagrecablc
sensation of dryncss was felt, Every sound
difluscd itself to a very long distance; an
ordinary conversation could be heard 100
PAGES off, while the report Of guns fro.n
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 enteebled
in these ATTITUDES, strength gives way UNI
der the paralyzing influence of the cold
the eyes Involuntary close and become
frozen. When locomotion stops the sole
of the foot becomes insensible 1t is some
what curious that the beard does not
freeze, but this is explained from the air
expired falling instantly transformed into
snow. The cold causes dark boards to be
come lighter; the secretion of the eyes and
nose always increases, while the formation
of the perspiration entirely ceases. The
only possible protection against the cold is
to be very warmly clothed, and to endcavor
as much as possible to prevent the con
dcnsation of the atmosphere, while the
much-vauntcd plan of amounting and black
ening the body are pronounced to have no
real value