The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1900-03-06
HUMAN HIBERNATIoN.
How Russian Peasants Adapt Them
selves to Light Rations in Winter.

selves to Light Rations In Winter.
1t has been recently brought to
light that the Russian peasant, in
certain districts, suffers from a chron-
ic state of famine, which occurs an
nually and is more OF less severe,
according to circumstances. In the
official report given by the bureau Of
statistics of the department of Pskov,
some interesting facts are brought
out, which seem to show to what ex-
tent man adapts himself to diverse
external conditions in the struggle
for existence.
III those districts suffering from a
lack of crops, which has become al
most chronic state, the inhabitants
have elaborated a method for adapt
ing themselves to the want Of provi-
sions which is perhaps unknown in
other parts of the civilized world.
This means is called in Russia '1ej-
ka," signifying lying down or state
of repose. 1t is in fact kind Of hi
bernation, as will be seen from the
description which has been given.
In those cases where the head Of
the family sees, toward the end Of
the autumn, that by normal con-
sumption of his supply of wheat it
will not last him until the end of the
agricultural year, ne makes arrange
ments to diminish the ration as much
as possible; but knowing that in this
case it will be difficult to preserve
the functions at their normal height
and to maintain the health and es-
pecially the physical force necessary
for the work of the spring, he and
his family plunge themselves into the
lejka," which means that everybody
simply goes to bed, lying down upon
the fiat stove, according to the pro-
verbal Russian custom, or in the
warmest corners, during four or five
months. He gets up only to replen-
ish the stove, or to eat piece of black
bread dipped in water The peasant
tries to move as little as possible and
sleep as much as he can Stretched
out upon the stove, he preserves the
most complete immohiitv His only
care during the long winter is to ex-
pend as little as possible of his animal
heat, and for that reason he tries to
eat and drink less, move less, and to
diminish in fact the vitality Of the
body. Each superhuous movement
is translated into a corresponding di-
minution of energy, which in turn in
creases the appetite and obliges him
to exceed the minimum % q bis isiations;
this minimum being regulated by the
quantity of provision that will carry
him over until the next harvest.
Thus instinct commands him to sleep
as much as possible. Obscurity and
silence reign in the hut, where in the
warmest places, either singly or
crowded together, the members Of
the family pass the state of hiberna-
ton.
During the course of the famine Of
this year, the press has several times
noted cases of this kind, but up to the
present time it has been generally
unknown that the lejka was not
temporary or accidental affair, but a
regular system elaborated by a series
of generations of peasants, who are
accustomed to consider the half-ra-
ton as the rule, sufiiciency as an I'M
attainable ideal, and hunger as an
inconvenience to which he can
"adapt" himself by the winters sleep.
1t would be interesting to obtain |
further details as to this state of |
Information, as, aside from the moral |
question involved, it is of interest |
from a physiological and psychology !
ical point Of Scientific Amer
lean.