The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1884-10-04
LIFE IN HIGH LATITUDES.

Medical aspect Of Greeley's Experience.
Medical Record.
A private interview with Lieutenant
Greedy; at his former home, has enabled
us to obtain a somewhat clearer insight
into the physiological and pathological
effects of prolonged residence in the
Polar regions, as well as the straits to
which the Greedy party were finally re-
duced. He ascertained that such So
journ, by inhabitants of warmer eli
mates who are in good physical trim,
Is for brief term of years compatible
with high state of all organic func-
tons, in which there is entire freedom
from diseases manifestations of every
kind; but there is q decided limit to the
endurance by the Europeans and Amer
leans of such extreme prolonged cold:
the system is at first, and for LONG
time, by an admirable series of internal
adjustments, braced up against the rig
ors of climate, but after the first wear a
considerable deterioration in muscular
and nervous energy, and in the calorig-
enous processes of the economy is eX-
perienced. The severity of the second
winter was found by the party some
what harder to bear, but the experience
of the previous winter had taught them
how best to fortify and protect them
selves, and husband their forces. The
third long Arctic night, in which the
thermometer was never less than three
below zero, and much of the time was
down to forty or fifty below would I'M
der the most favorable circumstances
have been painful session to the party;
vital reaction was quite perceptibly les
sened, muscular tone was impaired. |
rendering eXertion difficult, and rheu-
matism began to prevail. Could the |
party, however, have had plenty of food, |
and full and good shelter, they would |
undoubtedly have all been living to this |
day.
Lieutenant Greedy, in a reply to an
interrogatory, affirmed his doubts as to
whether his men, if well provisioned,
could have lived at Fort Conger more
than five years. The constitution of
the average American is not capable of
prolonged continuous adjustment to
more than zero cold, and such ACCLAIM
tizations could only come about after
series of generations where the law of
survival of the tittest should operate,
kind in correspondence with radical
tive and muscular development should
predominant over cerebral development;
in other words, nature has shown us in
the mentally dwarfed but physically
hardy Esquimaux, the type of organiza-
ton best fitted for living in those sep .
tentrional ATTITUDES. 1t, however is no
less matter of fact that the inhabitants
of meridinal climes admirably adapt
themselves temporarily to the most eX- }
IRENE cold. In the retreat from Mos A.;
COW, in 1912, the Italian regiments stood [
the cold better than the Germans, and Il
notably better than the Russians who y
were accustomed to the climate. The 81
Turks presented the same relative i'm
munity at the siege of Sevastopal. o
Longer, from whom these facts are 4
taken, remarks that the aptitude to re- -
sist inclement temperature is acquired -
and lost in turn; that people nutured in
temperate or cold climates, who 90 to
he torrid zones to live, are much less O
sensitive to the cold for a time after
heir return to their native country,
hough this lessened susceptibility dis N
appears after year or two. L
As man can live amid intense sur Il
cold only by keeping his in 81
Vnal temperature at about 9SI deg. k,
!, all the calorigenous cenres-which al
omprise every living element of cell in CT
very part of the body-are stimulated he
D greatly augmented activity; the re- m
pitory, digestive, and assimilative pro-
esses are performed with unwonted Of
nergy; the hearts action and the cir +,
nlation are notably quickened. Lieu ex
'nant Greedy remarked that breathing th
If of such intense GOODNESS had some A,
hing of the effect produced by breath Te
e pure oxygen; as for pulmonary an
oubles he heard no complaint of them
lille the party was at Fort Con-
II, in Lady FARMLAND Bay, at lati- sw
de of about 81 deg, where the first ira
20 years were spent; even simple ca ms
rrhs were unknown, the only thing VIII
)m which men suffered being occa- Il
,nal rheumatism and stiffness of the
uscles and joints. oys
The party had ferocious appetites Gig
ring all of this long sojourn in the col