The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1885-04-24
CLIMATE AND INTELLECT,
The Influence Climate Has on Intellec,
and Intellect on Climate.

The Influence Climate Has on Intellect,
and Intellect on Climate.
A great deal has been said about the
effect of climate upon intellect, and not
much of the effect of intellect upon eli
mate, or, to be more exact, of the pow
er in mental activity to resist or control
climatic influences. Some philosophers
have held that there is an occult SYM
patty between mind and matter. and
that great accumulation of mind
upon one point-that is to say, the di-
rection of a strong current of desire
for or against some operation of nature
would be effective. For instance, if
all the people in Il wide district suffer-
ing under drought should unite in a
common longing, sincere mental
struggle for ran. that nature would
feel the subtle influence through all its
being, rain would come. Unfortunate
ly the experiment has never been tried,
Tor common consent at any moment
has never been attained there is al
ways somebody who has hay out.
But this at least we can say, that it is
safer to have the desire of the general
mind in the right direction. Now two
of the vulgar notions of this latitude
are that we need "bracing up" and
that snow is useful product, conse-
quently that the more severe cold
weather we have and the more snow.
the better off we are. And people 30
on believing this to their deaths every
year. As to snow, there is a senti-
mental notion of its beauty as well as
of its utility. And good deal can be
said for it from an artistic point of
view. But we are not placed in this
stern world merely to indulge our SEN
Suousness. We are put here to make
the most of orr powers, in view of
hereafter; AMI long life is a duty, be-
sides being, in the Old Testament view,
a reward of virtue. 1t is probably nee
esSary to nave snow ut the poles in or
der TO keep the poles cool. and insure
a proper circulation and change of air
round the globe, just us it is necessary
to keep the equator so hot that it is a.
unpleasant TO sit on it as on Kitchen
stove. Snow, indeed, might do little
harm in a land where the sun never
shone. But in this region. where the sun
doe shine, where half the winter days are
clear, the only eject of the presence of
snow is to fill the atmosphere with
chilling moisture. lung fever. pneumo-
mia, and that sort of thing. The pleas
anter the weather, the more sunshine
we have; with snow on the ground.
the worse is our condition. And yeJ it
is in vain to argue this with people.
They are welded to traditional ideas
aud full of prejudice. and it seems IN
possible to convince them that snow in
this region is harmful. 1t does no
good to demonstrate TO them that but
for snow We shO I'D have a royal w n
ter climate. On small scale we see
occas onallv what it might be. There
were such days IN January last. The
snow had disappeared, the sun shone
with the light. but no. the heat Qike
an electric lamp) of May, and the air
was pure. eyhilarating. hut not damp
and grave-likc. 1t would have been
perfect but for the call that came
down from the vast snow-felds of Can
ada. where cold and snow are wor-
shipped and feted all winter. And
yet. after such experience, people,
convinced. 90 back to snow. The ig-
norance of this scientific age is ds-
couraging.
The other vulgar notion is that
hand-to-hand struggle with extreme
cold for moaths does u person good
braces him up. 1t must be admitted
that up to certain point any struggle
or trial is invigoratng to the moral
and intellectual nature. But we see
what too much indulgence in this leads
to. The Esquimaux is but little raised
above the polar bear and the seal. His
whole existence is ju>t an effort to
keep alive, to get blubber and skins |
enough t. generate and keep in his |
Eody vital heat. He can think OF moth
ing else; he has room for no other |
mental effort. We see the same thing
in the d aries and accounts of the polar |
exploration fanat cs. 1t would be the |
most painful reading in the world if it !
We're not so mOuotonous. Each one !
tells exactly the same story-tha story |
of his physical struggle TO keep alive |
with the thermometer fifty degrees |
below zero. Soon the mind has mother !
occupation than this struggle. 1t al
most ceases to work in any other direc-
ton. This IS intere sting to us at first |
As 4 study of the capacity of the hu-
man organism to resist the unrestrained |
attacks of nature. The exper ence of 4 |
person who should in this latitude, in
winter, retire TO an ica-house, with a
Ratchet and a supply of flozen hash. a
whale-oil lamp, and a fur overcoat and
anu st on the ice in the |
darkness. and record his feel ngs, the |
gradual lower nc of the vital powers,
the concentration of the m nj upon the
o. his legs. would doubtless
have physiological int rest. But the
second eSperimenter would no. interest |
h 5 readers so much as the first with
his narrat ve.-Charlcs Dudley Warner,
IN Eayper's Magazine.
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