The sun., 1893-07-16

in many another. the Russian 10 pronounced
the very opposite Of the EDglishman. Travel
ers have repeatedly been struck with the dis.
inclination OF Russian peasants TO physical
exortion: Mt their numerous festivals theil
chief delight seems to be rest and immobility
| n.
But. although climate and race must have
had som ethinR to do with this impassivenesa
Of mind and body our author contends that
the peoples diet must also be hold responsible
for It in largo measure. As tho principal ply
sioogcal effect Of cold is to accelerate respira-
tion. and thus determine in the lungs and
blood more rapid combustion, It follows that
| more substantial nourishment is needed In
sub Arctic countries. The nearer we are to the
| pole the more does man require food rich In
carbon and nitrogen. Now. In the extreme
north. as one consequence Of tho cold itself,
tho fertility OF the soil is rarely in proportion
with the demands OF the climate. Nowhere is
tho disproporlion more obvious than in the
northern half Of Russia, which is unsuited to
| the growth Of wheat, and which is beset
by such obstacles to cattle raising as
are unknown to temperate climates.
Throughout this region the earth is mig
! gard in granting to man the food distinctly
| indicated by climatoloxlcal conditions: the
| people have been condemned for many con-
turios to q meagre and almost exclusively
vegetable fare. Under sub-Arctic sky. they
have lived as people do In tho south. Only In
our own day has the use Of meat bacon. and
even salt pork begun to gain ground among
them. To this hour. although great progress
has been made In this direction since the
emancipation OF the seris. the majority OF
peasants taste meat only on holidays Their
staple food consists Of rye bread. broken into
the shfshi. sort OF soup made Of fern ented
sour cabbage. this latter dish being the ma
tiona one par excellence. To these edibles
are added dried mushrooms and frozen or
salted fish. two articles that nre nowhere con-
sumed in such quantities as In Russia.
Nevertheless. the demands Of the climate
could not be entirely evaded, and drink has
had to supply the lack OF food. The Russans
have two national beverages. kvass. sort of
rye water. slightly fermented. and tea. the use
OF which is we'll nigh as universal as in China.
The tea Kettle. the brass samovar. is always
the chief utensil OF 4 households: no hut be 1t
ever so poor. is without It, Tea. especially In
q country where the water is frequently Of
poor quality. is q great refreshment: but under
a sub Arctic sky. 1t is insufficient as tonic 1t
is supplemented with grain whiskey. the pale
white vodka. 1t has long been noticed that
Drunkenness increases with the degrees OF
latitude. The taste for alcohol is as
natural to the Russian peasant as tenn
sian: it is lot go much the mans vice
rs the climates fault As long as the fare is
not better. wliskey will be to the peasant a
tonic and stimulnut. unwholesome doubtless.
but difficult to replace What the author
would most deplore is not that vodka cannot
he entirely prescribed. but that IL is impossi-
BILE to regulate the use OF it. SO that on spree
day" one beholdsithe absorption of such guam
titles OF alcohol as wisely dealt out. might
further the peasants health. instead OF tend
ing to degrade him into a brute. It 10 salts
factory. however. to learn from NJ Leroy Beau
lieu. than whom no foreign observer has made
a m ore careful study Of Russia. that the intem-
perance OF the Cars subjects has been greatly
exaggerated. TIE Russian drinks less than
the Dane. and perhaps less than the English
man. the German. and the Frenchman. Many
peasants who get drunk on every holiday, go
for weeks without drop Of spirits. Indeed.
the consumption OF vodka had noticeably di- |
minished during the second half OF tho reign |