The Saint Paul globe., 1899-02-19
Cannot Catch Cold.

is impossible to catch a cold, simply because
there are no colds to catch. There facts,
however, which seem to prove this. For eX-
ample, NanSen and his men, during the three
years which they spent in the Arctic regions,
never caught cold. Yet they were exposed
to cold. fatigue and wet to d degree which
We at home hardly realize. Especially
one remembers how Nansen and his comrade,
Johansen, during their wonderful expedition
on foot over the polar ice, went on, day after
day, clad in clothes which SO saturated
with perspiration that they froze by day into
one solid mass of ice, and even cut into the
flesh; how every night, when they tucked
themselves UP in their sleeping bags, the
first hour was spent in thaWing; how they
lay shlVering, their frozen socks spread across
their chests, until their clothes gradually be-
came wet and soft and eventually comfort
able and warm. 1t was indeed a damp bed
to sleep in. Yet they never caught a cold;
and mark this for it is very important, with
the exception Of Nansen's brief attack of
lumbago, their health did not suffer in any
way from the exposure.
1t may be said that they were all strong
men, marVellously hardy; they were able TO
Withstand the cold. But what was the fact?
Directly they reached civilization they all
caught cold. Nansen's own statement to
writer in the London Spectator was: There
is, of course, doubt that cold is an infec-
tious disease. We had none during our
Journey, and we all got it (very badly, too), at
the very moment we reached Norway" And
this seems to be the universal experience of
Arctic explorers The members of the Jack
n-Harmsworth expedition, who stayed for
three years in Franz Josef Land never once
suffered from colds. Yet they, too, under
went at times great exposure. The Arctic
summer was exceedingly damp-cold, mist
laden east winds prevailing Wet feet were
the rule, "a chronic experience "On one
occasion six of us were exposed to gale
in boat for three days and nights, when
We were all drenched to the skin with rain
and spray; and when we arrived on land,
being unable on account Of the inclement
weather and want of drift or other wood to
light fire, we had to remain in our wet
clothes and practically let them dry upon
our bodies, yet none of took cold" 1t is
noteworthy that the only ill effects ever felt
were slight tWinges OF rheumatism exper-
fenced by two or three only, and quite of a
meeting nature lndeeds their doctor declares
that none of these men were the worse for
their long sojourn in those northern regions
WElle some at least were the better for if
Yet they all, with only two exceptions suf-
fered from severe solids directly they reached
civilization.
Some very interesting facts are given in con-
ways account of his experiences For two
months, when exploring Spitzbergen, he and
ms 1our comrades were exposed to feonsiders-
ble Prlvations, were almost constantly wet
through and frequently had to sleep in their
wet clothes. Yet their health never suffered
in any way from this. But at the end of tha t.
time they went down to Andrees settlement
on the coast, where some forty men were liv-
ng and where, moreover, there was almost
constant intercourse with the mainland
Within two days of their arrival Conway and
nus companions all developed violent colds.
stu more striking were his experiences in
the Hlmalayas. While among the mountains
ne and his men, Notwithstanding great ex-
poSufe, never caught cold. They even visit
ed native villages without doing SO. But once
they came down to a village where there was
small European settlement having commu-
nlcatlon with the outside world-one- white
man mad come up three days previously
There Conway and his men all without ey
thinks, in about a couple of days The pres
mt writer has heard, too, but has been ma he
TO verify the fact, that the men at the OBJ
SerVatory on top of Ben Nevis often living
in the midst OF cloud and rain and snow
never suffer from colds, but that whenever
they descend to inhabited regions they in
variably catch severe ones.
Ihen there is the classical instance of the
st. kllda cold. On that rocky, lonely island
lying some forty miles beyond the Western
hebrldes. there are nigh upon a hundred in
habltants, Who keep few sheep and cows
culllNale some Iorty acres and collect the
eggs, IeatnerS and young of the numerous sea
fowl Their coast is preciptous and their
seas are so stormy that for eight months out
Of the twelve they are practically inaccessi-
bic. Formerly they were visited only once a
year by snip from the mainland. Now sew
eral call there during the summer including
excursion steamers from Liverpool and Glas-
gov. The curious point is that whenever a
ship reaches the island all the inhabitants,
including the very infants at the breast are
seized with Geld. This fact has been known
for nearly two hundred years, and greatly in
terested DR.. Johnson when he and Boswell
were making their famous tour of the Heb
rides. He very skeptical about it, saying
that the evidence was not adequate to the
linlprobability of the thing. But he praised
the Rev. Mr.. Macaulay for putting it in his
book, declaring that it was courageous of
him to tell a fact, however strange, if he him
self believed it, He said that if a physician.
rather disposed to be ncredulous should go
n ST Kida and report the fact he vo,,I5