The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1880-12-11
Periis Near the Pole.

Franklin Search Expedition were pre-
sented by Lieut.. Schwatka, ut q meet
ing of the Academy of Sciences.
Beginning with the use Of alcohol,
Lieut.. Schawtka emphasizes the fact
that not drop of ardent spirit of any
kind was used in his sled journey Of g..
PSI miles. In short journeys and hunt.
ing expeditions where there was ample
room for baggage, it was considered that
alcohol might be carried, and, If used in
moderation, would raise the tempera.
ture of the body slightly, and tend, Is
elsewhere, to increased comfort. But on
long journeys ardent spirits could not
be carried in bulk without displacins
other indispensable articles. Alcohol
was not regarded as necessary, and was
not considered good heating agent. The
injurious effects of intense cold, how.
ever, had sometimes been wrongly as.
cribed to the use of liquor. On ship.
board the general use OF alcoholic slim
ulants was considered bad, and only al
lowable when every possible chance of
scurvy was removed by the character of
the food.
In regard to temperature, Lieut..
Schwatka said that his party had en-
countered the most intense cold ever re-
corded by white mcn-7l degrees Fab
renheit, or l03 degrees below the frecz-
ing point. On that day the camp was
moved ten miles, and no unusual incon-
venicnce was felt. 1t was not the in.
:ensity of the cold that was unpleasant.
All suffering was caused by the direc-
ton and violence of the wind. With the
thermometer at 60 degrees Fahrenheit,
no especial trouble was met with, but at
temperature fifteen degrees higher,
with wind blowing straig ht in the faces
of the men, frost-bites and great suffer-
ing were common. The white men
would freeze their noses or the exposed
portions of their cheeks. The coolest days
were perfectly calm; on warmer days,
with the exception Of . few daysin mid
summer, the wind blew constantly. But
it was considered that to men clad in
warm clothing temperature was not ma.
terial, and the longest journeys could be
undertaken without fear. When tho
thermometer sank to I'll deg. Fahren-
heit, tho sky was Of a lcadcu hue, varied
with brownish red near the sun. Clouds
OF vapor rolled from every thing animal.
When the expedition stopped it was en-.
ve!Oped IN steam. Musk.Oxen and deer
could be detected at a distance of five
or six miles by the vapor about them,
and the Esquimaux claimed to be able
to distinguish the kind Of animals by
peculiarities in the vapor. Water poured
on ice caused cracking like miniature
tire-crackcrs, and the surface of sheets
of ice wasgray and opaque from the I'M
equal expansion. The sound Of the rum
ners was like that caused by q resined
bow or tunin y-fork, and. heard at q dis.
lance, resemb(cd IN Eolcan harp. In
the most extreme cold the acclima.iza-
ZION Of the white men proved as perfect
as that Of the natives. At q very low
temperature the beard became block
Of ice, and the lips and nostrils were
nearly glued together. Exercise, though
important, was not so essential as has
been stated, there never being ncces-
sity for exercising to the point Of fatigue.
For Arctic explorers Il strong circulation
and tendency not to perspire profusely
are desirable. The common theories
regarding the danger in using snow
were at Il variance with Lieut.. Schwat.
ka's experience. At-30 deg. Fahren-
heit the snow freezes temporarily, the
mucus membrane of the mouth causing
a burning sensation. If this be often
and rapidly repeated: it is highly in.
jnrious, but snow and ice taken in mod
Grafton at long intervals are of great
service in quenching thirst. Drowsiness
was not experienced in connection with
/. reat cold, and it was considered as re-
uting usually from sudden change
from ship.board to out.of.d0or life, or
from IN insufficient acclimatization.
Near sightedness, though attended
with some discomforts, gave certain inn
portant advantages. The glasses be-
came readily covered with CONCEALED
moisture from the heat, but with the
squirting common to near.sighted per.
sons were an efficient protection against
the glare Of the sun upon the snow. No
one who was near-sighted suffered from
snow.blindness, while the Esquimaux
were troubled with this more than the
white men. They also suffered from
chronic ophthalmia and the deposits
caused by cataracts. In very cold
weather the hut, were buried two or
hires feet deep in snow. 1t was advisa.
Dc to change these huts a often rs pos.
,ible; because the constant freezing and
made them mass of translu.
cent ice. and exhslations from the
bodies and fires became CON-
,ealed upon the walls, and continually
falling oft, caused a little snow storm in
he interior.
The effec. produced by the darkness
II the long Arctic night upon human
beings WIS considered to be much more
zeal than the discomfQrts 0ccasiOned bv
loneliness and inconsistencies. Accord.
ng to physicians, it has been found
hat darkness decreases the respiratory
movements in proportion to its propen.
'ity. 1t was therefore held that in the
ong dark Arctic winter, the respiratory
movements would become much retard.
ID, and consequent injurious effect
would be exerted, the circulation being
low and the blood imperfectly oxidized.
70 prevent this, crews should b. ex-
,osed AS much as possible to the light.-
NeU HOrk Tribune.
The Stripes Of Schuslxhauer.
II We may estimate the thickness Of
dr. Joseph Schmalzbauer's skin by the
capacity Of enduring castigation, - de.
in the Official record Of the
administered to him during
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