Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-04-04
BERNAT|ON MYSTERY
EXPLAINED BY sERV|ss
'fcssor Explains How Long
Winter Sleep or Animals Is
Made Possible.
ny GARRETT =. sERyISs.

Hf GARRETT T.. SERyISs.
Is 1t possible for the Esquimos TO
ornate for several months In a
without food? When the bear
hibernate. does the blood or the
mai circulate regularly and does
heart also beat normally
tder. GAINESVILLE. Wis"
tiDcrnation is simply a long sleep
word means Winter Sleepy. in
ich the phenomena OF ordinary
.p are intensified as well as pro-
ged in duration. Althou.h men
no race hibernate. y he aot,
faculty. of hibernate. not so
,pletciy foreign to hn..... physi-
! yy AZ 1t seems 1t wound require
tho loss OF u certain rhysiologi-
popularity. which there Is reason
believe has been slowly developed
ough evolution. viz. "warm-b blood
blood at affixed temperature) in
CT that n man might pass the
Ter as motionlrss. and as uncon-
Jus or the cold and the snow-biiz-
d., as. Is. the ALTERNATING bear.
,dchuck. chlpmunk or tortoise.
Coid-BloOded Species Habit.
Is AMONG cold bloodcd'' anil
that the habit OF Information
orally exists. 1t is practiced by
iparativefy few species OF warm
,ded animate. and those species
ear TO lack the power 10 main
u fixed or normal temperature
the blood without regard To the
perature of the surrounding mcdi-
Thus. In the alternating bear
blood temperature is lowered
air. or the immediate surround
3. Yet the blood continues TO cir
tic, and the heart to beat though
HI are slowed down. while the res
alton Is totally suspcrIed
mans blood was still capable; as
| nay once have been. at least when
owed In the veins Of his geological
dccessore, Of sinking to low tenn
|aturc without involving cessh-
d OF the power OF circulation. nc
INT join in Brother Bruins peace
heimal slumbcrs.
| ut IL must not be supposed that
lowering of blood temperature
sch attends Mibcrnatiop can be
lried indefinitely far. Extreme
will kill bear. or any other
|ernattnE mammal. II the niood
the t!ssu.s arc actually frozen.
is for this reason that the In
ict of such animals leads them
protect themselves, In prepare
h for their winter sleep. by bur
Ping deep into tho ground. or ~
Ing shelter. IN mono" lecN,
elsewhere. against extremes or
literature. II is said that !:
snap reaches a alternating an.
LII, in spite OF these precautions. IL
h awaken from It's elumber. and:
!, cannot md better shelter. viii
|!sh OF tho cold.
ut cold FLOODED animals. such as
81 and fish. may. In some <2es.
|iaily DC frozen hard and yet re-
|, life and nc resusc!ta,ed. Ihesc
|ags seem almost miraculous 70
|sibiii,ies of other creatures ny our
|, limitations. our anthropocentric
|ntering In MANI tendencies o,
|uEht often make us bclittic God
stumble over nature. They are
be- seen at work Whencrer .ne
nets than the earth comes unuer
is interce,ing that perhaps the
|ncirai Underlying cause OF inc
LIT OF Information is the avoid.
|e OF hunger. But does not that
|, starving man, woman OF child
,pt to fall into \ lethargic SUM.
which may even have the cHcct
proionEing life. a. least tor
RI time. by slowing down the
has been observed. too. that there
IA slight. though mcasurabie IAN
the bodily temperature OF "a steep
man. while every test indicates
|, between ordinary sleep ana M
nation the difference Is only ono
degree.
Dfreation Continues.
During Information. o! course;
re is complete stoppage OF all
nentationI No food enters inc
However. tho digestive func-
ar nj least the assimilative nc
l. must continue to so on feehly,
ause the body Of the slcepinG ami
/ atSorhs the fat stored during It's
King time. and when the hear
Ks out into the FIRST spring sun.
nc he liz often but shadow OF
yell-fillcd autumn figure. The
-ular statement Is made that some
mails refrain from falling into the
tier sleep If the supply or f"od
ing tho preceding season has been
ANAL to enable them to accumn-
, tho necessary quantity Of rat.
n hot countries "aestivation." or
INNER sleep" takes the nlace OF
ernat!on. OF which II is tho pre-
!, counterpart. In both cases lack
food is the determining. cause.
coolies and ailiEatCSSs. AID some
as anacondas and boa constructors.
" themselves in hardened mud. as
frogs and toads during dry sea-
g even in temperate cllmes.
!, Inherent Views