Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1884-02-06
How We Freeze.
[From the Atlantic Constitution

"Anybody froze to death yet ?" asked
a well-known physician yesterday as
Constitution man entered his Office and
drew up close to the glowing CRATE.
"Not as far as heard FROM" replied
the scribe.
"By the way" continued the scribe,
if should happen to take it into my
head to lie out to night and freeze, what
would be the process?"
1t is very simple" replied the old
doctor. "Did you ever notice how
drowsy you become in cold weather?
The extreme parts of the body when
subjected for time to a temperature
impressively low readily lose their vital
| ity; the circulation in the small vessels
become weaker and weaker until it stag
mates, and they are said to be frost-bit-
| ten. | know man who, while on a
| drunken spree, lay out III the woods and
| had his toes frozen off. But to proceed.
The influence of cold being extended
and still further protracted there is great
drowsiness, with lassitude and extreme
dislike to muscular exertion. If you
succumb to the feeling Of drowsiness and
sleep you drop into the sleep of death.
You would first suffer intense pain, after
ward you would experience benumb-
ing effect, and if walking your steps
would become uncertain and tottering.
Your utterance would become indistinct
and an irresistible drowsiness would
seize you You would drop into sleep
from which it would be impossible to
arouse you, and death would speedily
follow"
IF you should happen along in the
nick of time and find man at the point
of freezing to death, what would you
do?"
"The first thing to do is to restore
warmth, but it must be restored gradu
ally. Il has been found that in cases of
insensibility from cold the sudden expo,
sure of the body to an elevated temper
allure 10 certainly fatal. If reaction
takes place, it is short and violent, and
the patent soon dies, not unfrequently
in a state of delirium. In order to
avoid this danger the man should first
be rubbed with snow if at hand, which,
though in itself cold, is when near the
melting point much warmer than the
frozen body; or the patient should be
immersed in bath of very cold water,
made gradually less and less cold until
the temperature is raised to the natural
standard. As soon as the muscles and
other soft parts are sufficiently relaxed
to admit of easy motion, artificial res
piratioa should be resorted to. ltmig ht
be done by throwing cold water upon
the face or dashing it upon the shout
ders. The sudden impression of cold
upon the surface is powerful stimulus
to the respiratory process. When blow
ing into the mouth is resorted to, it is
best to breathe two or three times deep
ly, so as to give the patient better
quality of air. :.
sis cold injurious to ones system q
eyes: upon the weak and exhausted
cold sets as a permanent debility.
There is not indeed more frequent ex-
otter Of disease than cold, when applied
to the body under certain circumstances.
A short exposure will of course do little
harm but should person be out long
in it-say for instance he should lose his
way on a winter night-the result
would be dangerous. 1t is exceedingly
dangerous also to go from a heated
room into the cold air. The fair vOtaries
of pleasure and dissipation often fall g
sacrifice to the pursuit on this ac'
count, and many Young dancer has
foundin the chilling blast the call to an
early tomb.