The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-02-06

into the matter. Men of the 'sanguine
type who are at the same time blondes,
dark men and persons who have higher
heat generating power, and who radiate
warmth, just as some men give off animal
magnetism"
"Of course, you dress much more heavily
in high ATTITUDES than in low ones"
TO be sure. We rely more largely on
furS when out of doors than on wooden
goods. When sledging over the ice caps |
wore an undershirt of dressed fawnskin
with the hairy side turned inward, and a
deerskin coat over it having the hair turned
outward. The use of a double suit of fur is
common with certain Eskimos They use
seal for this purpose to some extent but
you must remember that it is the skin of
the hair seal and not the fur seal"
=, What difference did you make in your
diet when you went north?"
Little. except in the quantity ] ate
have always eaten freely of meat, and little
of other things. In the Arctic regions
took about three times as much animal food
as L would when at home Neither / nor
any of my party INDUCED much in fatty
FOODS. We never ate seal blubber and never
drank OIL Even the Eskimos around my
headquarters in Whale sound were not con-
sumers of oil, and used blubber chiefly if
not entirely for their lamps My observa-
ton does not accord altogether with that
of some others who have been north
How far are wine and spirits helpful in
enabling man to endure cold, do you
Very little. except in emergencies where
1T IS important to save time. If we could
have hot tea or coffee we would use spirits
only as a physician would. Suppose, for
instance, that we were out sledging in bit
ter weather, and one of the party should
give signs of exhaustion. 1T might take
two or three hours, with our small appli-
ances, to melt ice into water and heat the
water sufficiently to make tea or coffee.
But brandy could be administered instantly.
l think, however, that on certain social oc-
casions in the Arctic region, as well as at
home, a little light Wine is a good thing
Are the tskimos, by reason of adapta-
ton to their environment and by heredity.
better qualified r endure Arctic tempera-
lures than are Caucasians?"
I'm some respects they certainly have the
advantage of us. They are tougher, or less
sensitive to cold, aud will expose them
selves in way that would kill any one
else. The Eskimo. while leaning over to
whip his dogs or while lifting his arms for
other purposes, will often open a gap of
three or four inches around his waist be-
tween his upper and lower garments. He
does not seem to- mind a little thing like
that; but such an exposure would give you
or me a disease of the kidneys that would
carry us to an early grave. On the other
hand, when it comes to short rations and
discouraging conditions, the Eskimo. will
power which are characteristic of our own
people,"
Another naval officer who had been in the
Arcuc regions said to a Tribune reporter
last week, to illustrate the hardness of the
ESklmoS, that women well as men would
strip themselves for bath in a temperature
of 20 degrees below zero. This man, by the
way remarked that 1t was customary to
coat the body with grease as an additional
projection against cold. Although he never
saw any drinking of oil, he was inclined
TO think that the natives ate good deal of
blubber which looked, when cold. some
carcass. He himself when in high lati-
tudes. would eat with relish slice of fat
pork on piece of cracker, a style of sand
witch which would be exceedingly disgusting
to him now.
Reichert, in his chapter on Animal
Heat which he has contributed to How
Of chO hat
the human body is a great mechanism, both
for generating heat and disSipating it, If
person promotes the former process in
one of many ways, or at least keeps it 60
ing on more actively than the latter he will
be warm. On the other hand, if he allows
more heat to escape than he develops, of
course his temperature will be lowered.
The greatest losses, at least in cold
weather are likely to occur through radia-
ton from the skim This phenomenon is
heightened by the evaporation Of the natural
moisture there. Then, of course, every time
generated within. Still other avenues of
escape may be mentioned, but they are
comparatively unimportant
The chief safeguard against the loss of
warmth is a covering for the body which
IS q nonconductor of heat. Some persons
have natural protection in layer of sub
cutaneous fat Others, especially in the
Arctic regions, deliberately apply grease to
the body for this very purpose. Finally, as
every Tribune reader knows, wooden cloth
ing keeps the natural heat better than does
cotton or linen. Fine, smooth goods radiate
less than rough goods Thick clothing, it is
needless to say, is better than thin cloth
ing, and furs are better than cloth.
The chief source of heat in the body is
the food. Those articles which, like meat
and fats and certain vegetable rich in
'proteids,' furnish carbon, hydrogen and
nitrogen in great abundance are the best for
this purpose When these substances are
digested and oXidized Cor burned) they give
off fine supply of warmth. Nine-tenths of
the caloric effect of food is derived directly
from the chemistry of digestion. Hearty
eating, therefore, is the best means of keep
ing ones self warm at this season. The
next best IS exercise. Four-fifths of all the
energy expended in muscular contraction
appears in the form Of heat, and only one
fifth in work. Anything which promotes
free respiration and takes a. large supply of
oxygen into the system still further feeds
the internal fires.
Children and some animals like guinea
pigs and rats have a greater heat produc-
ing power than men. And, of course. there
arc great difference among the latter in this
respect, owing to dissimilarities in age,
diet, health, activity, circulation and so on.
Moreover, there are notable disparities in
sensitiveness to external cold. These are
due to variations III the condition and dis
tribution OF certain cutaneouS nerves. Some
psychologists believe that we have one set
of nerves to detect cold and another to re-
port heat Their relative abundance, as
we'll as their excitability, has something to
a Wit af1fra