THE INFLUENCE OF ARCTIC COLD ON MAN.

Evening Star, Issue 3932, 1 October 1875, Page 3

THE INFLUENCE OF ARCTIC COLD ON MAN.

Lieutenant Payer, the Austrian Arctic explorer, liasbeen laying some of the results of his explorations before the Geographical Society of Vienna. Referring to the influence of extreme cold on the human organism, he related that on March Id, 187-f, he and his companions made a sledge journey over the Samiklar glacier, in order to make observations of Francis Joseph Land. On that day the cold marked ■iO degrees (Reaumur) below zero. Notwithstanding the intense cold, M. Payer and a Tyrolese Avcnt out before sunrise to make observations and sketch. The sunrise was magnificent ; (he sun seemed surrounded, as it does at a high degree of cold, by small suns, and ils light appeared more dazzling from the contrast with the extreme cold. The travellers were obliged to pour rum down their throats so as not to touch the edge of the metal cups, which would have been as dangerous as if they had been red-hot; but the rum had lost all its strength and liquidity, and was as flat and thick as oil. ft was impossible to smoko either cigars or tobacco in short, pipes, for very soon nothing but a piece of icc remained in the mouth. The metal of the instruments was just like red-hot iron to the touch, as were some lockets, which some of the travellers romantically, but imprudently, continued to wear next the skin. M. Payor says that so great an amount of cold paralyses the will, and that, under its influence, men, from the. unsteadiness of their gait, their stammering talk, and the slowness of their mental operations, seem as if they were intoxicated. Another effect of cold is a tormenting thirst, which is due

to the evaporation of the moisture of the body. It is unwholesome to use snow to quench (he thirst, as it brings on inflammation of the throat, palate, and tongue. Besides, enough can never be taken to quench the thirst, as a temperature of’ 30..1 eg. to KKIog. below zero makes it taste like molten motol. Snow-cateis in the North are considered as feehlo and effeminate, in the same waxy as an opium-eater in the East. The groups of travellers who traversed the snow-fields were surrounded by thick vapors formed by the emanations from their bodies, which became condensed, notwithstanding the furs iu which the travellers were enveloped. These vapors fell to the ground with a slight noise, frozen into the form of small crystals, and rendered the atmosphere thick, impenetrable. and dark. Notwithstanding the humidity of the air, a disagreeable sensation of dryness was felt. Every sound diffused itself to a very long distance, an ordinary conversation could be heard at a hundred paces off, whilst the report of gums from the top of high mountains could scarcely bo heaul. M. Bayer explains this phenomenon by the largo quantity of moisture in the Arctic atmosphere. JMeat could chopped and mercury used iu the shape of balls. Both smell and taste become greatly enfeebled in these latitudes, strength gives way under the paralysing influence of the cold, the eves involuntarily close and become frozen. When locomotion stops the sob 1 of the foot becomes insensible. It is somewhat carious that tho beard does not freeze, bxxt this is explained from the air expired falling immediately transformed into snow. Tho cold causes dark beards to become lighter ; the secretion of tho eyes and nose always increases, whilst the formation of perspiration altogether ceases. The only possible protection against tho cold is to be very warmly dollied, and to endeavor as much as possible to prevent the condensation of tho atmosphere, whilst tho much-vaunted plans of anointing and blackening the body are pronounced to have no real value.