The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1877-03-17
Experiences Of a FrOst-Bitten Traveller
in Russia.

Oh + rOSt-DlIttH lThFelcE
in Russia.
CAPT. FRED. BURNABY, in his book,
a" A Ride to Khiva," relates the follow
ing sketch. He had accidentally ex-
posed his hands in igh-traveling and |
had got frost bitten: In few moments
| awoke; a feeling of intense pain had |
seized my extremities; it seemed as if
they had been plunged into some corro-
sive acid which was gradually eating the |
flesh from the bones. | looked at my |
finger-nails; they were blue, the fingers
and back part of my hands were of the
same color, while my wrists and the lower
part of the arm were of a waxen hue.
There was no doubt about it, l was frost
bitten, and that in no slight degree; so,
calling to my servant, / made him rub
the skin with some snow, in hopes of re-
storing vitality. This he did for several
minutes, but all this time the same pain
previously described was gradually as
cending up my arms, while the lower
portion of the limbs were lost to all SEN
sation, dead to pain-dead to every sense
of feeling-hanging quite listlessly by
my side, Nazar in vain using all his
energies so as to restore circulation. 1t
is no good he said, looking sorrowfully
at me; we must get on as fast as posi-
Bile to the station. How far off is it?' he
inquired of the driver. Seven miles,
was the answer. Go as fast as you cam
| cried. The pain, which by that time
had assembled to the glands under my
arms, had become more acute than any
thing | had hitherto experienced. APP
parently extreme cold acts in two ways
on the nervous system: sometimes, and
more mercifully, by bringing on SUM
Der from which the victim never awakes,
and at others by consuming him, as it
were, over a slow fire, and limb by limb.
All this time the perspiration was pour
ing down my forehead, my body itself
being as if on fire, the pain gradually
ascending the parts attacked, There
are moments in a mans life when death
| itself would be a relief 1t was about the
day that an unfortunate criminal would
have to undergo the last dread sentence
of the law, and ! remember distinctly
the thought occurring to my mind, as to
whether the physical pain / was then
undergoing was less than the mental
agony of the poor wretch on the drop.
Would the distance that separated US
from the station ever be traversed?
Each mile seemed to me league, and
each league days journey. At last we
arrived Hurrying to the waitingroom, l
met three Cossacks, towhoml showed my
hands. The soldiers led me into an out
er room, and having taken off my coat
| thpu pol1ntrnA thpn
up to the shoulder in a tub of ice and
water. However, there was no sensa-
ton whatever, and the limos, which were
of blue color, foated painlessly in the
water. The elder of the Cossacks shook
his head and said: Brother, it is bad
Job; you will lose your hands They
will drop off, remarked another, if we
cannot bring back the circulation
Have you any spirits with you| added
a third. Nazar on hearing this ran out
and brought in tin bottle contain
ing naphtha for cooking purposes, upon
which the Cossacks, taking my arms out
of the icy water, proceeded to rub them
with the strong spirit. Rub, rub, rub
the skin peeled under their horny hands
and the spirit irritated the membrane
below. At last faint sensation like
tickling pervaded the elbow joints, anc
l slightly f1inched. Does it hurt?' asked
the elder of the CossaCks. A little.
Capital, brothers, he continued; rut
as hard as you can; and, after going OF
with the friction until the flesh was al
, most t1aved, they suddenly plunged m.
arms again into the ice and water.
had not felt anything before, but thi
time the pain was very acute. Good,
said the Cossacks. The more it hurt
the better chance you have of savin!
your hands And after a short TIM
, they let me take them out of the tub
You are fortunate, little father, saiC
the elder of the Cossacks. If it hat
2 not been for the spirit your hands woult
have dropped off, if you had not los
your arms as WELL Rough, kind-heartet
: fellows were these poor soldiers; ant
: when I forced on the elder of them
y present for himself and comrades tn
. older soldier simply added; Are W
; not all brothers when in misfortune
n Would YOU not have helped me if ha
: been in a like predicament:' l shoe
e his hand heartily, and went to the wait
0 ing room to rest on the sofa, as tn
e physical shock Just undergone had TO
Y the moment thoroughly Frustrated me
v NY arms also were sore and intlamec
: the spirit having in some places pene
0 trated the raw flesh; and it was sewers
d weeks before l thoroughly recovere
}. from the effects of my carelessness."