The Minnesota fiery cross. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1924-19??, 1924-05-02
DECLARES ESKIMOS
DO NOT LIKE FATS
Stefansson, Noted Explorer,
Tells How They Live.

London. - vilhjalmur Stefansson,
writing In the London Spectator, dis
pels the popular mlsconception that
Eskimos either eat fat, drink oils or
rub grease upon their bodies. He
points out that the error Dasicaiiy
rests upon truth, that food Is re-
qulred not only to repair waste and
enable the doing Of physical work, but
also to keep up the body temperature,
which obviously must be the more
difficult the colder the weather. Be
cause the Eskimo lives In a country
considered to be colder than the lands
inhabited by other branches Of the
human race, through deduction and In
duction, persons-without inquirtng
into the actual facts-have simply
made up their minds on the subject Of
fats and oils as concerns this inter
esting people.
As an actual fact, the noted ex-
plorer holds. the Eskimo consumes
less food for power" than the aver
age Scotsman or Norwegian, for the
OUNlOuS EcdSOu ING IAonlAaoo nAO
really exposed to cold less.
"Some Eskimo winter houses are
cold" he writes, "but the typical Es-
kimo house resembles more an In
cubator or a Turkish bath than 1t does
an average European or American
dwelling. Captain Bartlett has said
that the temperature Of the Eskimo
houses In northeastern Siberia was at
night around 100 degrees Fahrenheit;
Rasmussen describes the Cape York
Eskimos, the most northeriy human
beings In the world, az sitting In mid
winter naked In their overheated
houses with streams of perspiration
running down their bodies, which they
mop continually with towels.
No Need to Drink OH.
TN such overheated houses what
need Is there to drink oil or to con-
sumo a large amount Of heat-produc-
Ing fat to counterbaiance radiation
from the body7 The proponents Of
the oil-drinking theory will suggest
that the people do not live indoors all
the time and that In winter II may
be extremely cold out Of doors. II Is
true that, although the lowest winter
temperatures Of the inhabited parts
Of Montana or Russia are lower than
any In which the Eskimos live, still
the average winter temperature Of the
Arctic climate Is low. There are dis
| tricts where for q month or two In
midwinter you may have an average
Of Is or 80 degrees below zero. and
occasionally even little lower. But
when the Eskimos 20 outdoors they
are clad In suits Of fur that are prac.
tically cold proof. You might about
as well be dressed In q thermos bot
tie"
| Mr.. Stefansson cannot remember
ever having seen an Eskimo shiver In
winter, but be has seen them shiver In
summer. The reason for this Ii thai
the inhabitant of the colder regior
of the earth 10 somewhat controlled
by fashion. In the summer It is cor
rect form, In Eskimo land, to dress n
the most worn-out and shabbiest rem
nants Of the winter garments. Thes'
naturally offer little protection from
the rain, and II Ii not unusual for thu
Eskimo to get thoroughly wet-or be
come thoroughly cold when sitting still
ca, for instance, In a boat. The FOL
and raw winds Of the warmer ssasoI
have an opportunity to penetrate q
their bodies AZ result.
A. to orsasIno the Body.
Al concerns the grsasing Of tn
body among the Eskimos. Mr.. Stsfana
son has the following to say;
"Our women, used to disappsarin
creams. do not see the absurdiv Q
this: but II you remember that tn
only oil available to the nskimos 10 Q
the nature Of lard or Ash oil, neithe
OF which evaporatss. you will see N
absurdity ct once. Il n well know
| that I'm order 10 be warm you must