iNTi\()i)r(:Ti()N 



Tlio |)r()l)leiiis to be disciissod in lliis inoiiot^raj)!! arc 

 ])i'iiiiarily those of llic i)ros(M'vat ion of lil'i' and of the 

 iiicclianisni of dcalli al low Irnipcrat iii-c. ( )ii account of 

 llu'ir innncdiatc connection with the ([uestions ot* the 

 structure of li\-in,i;- matter and of the nature of life, these 

 pi-obh'ins are of funch-iniental phih^sophical importance, 

 ll is ])i-ecisely this funihimeiital aspect which will he our 

 main conceiMi t lii-ouii,hout this work. None of the practi- 

 cal applications of low ti'm])erature reseai-ch will be con- 

 sidered exce))! inasnmch as they directly involve some 

 phase of our topic. Though the lields of Cold 11 (ird'nicss 

 in Phnifs and of Jlcfrif/erafuni / iidtistri/ are <|uite closely 

 related to our subject we shall not include them; each 

 one of these fields constitutes a science in itself wdiicli will 

 be better reviewed by a specialist. 



Our knowledge on death by cold consists of observa- 

 tions concerniiii;': 1. Which organisms are killed by or 

 survive \arious low temperatures; 2. How the organisms 

 affected are physically modified by the action of cold; 

 .'>. What are the causes and the mechanism of cold injury 

 and cold death. The study of these three (piestions will 

 constitute, respect ix'ely, Parts 1, II and III of this l)ook. 



Bibli()grai)hical references which only incidentally con- 

 ceiii the subject treated will l)e incorporated in the text, 

 in italics; references dealing primarily with the topic 

 undei- discussion will be gi\-en at the end of each ])art 

 in which they were used; a fciihitlvely complete bib- 

 liogra])hical list including also references not utilized in 

 our work, will be appended at the end of the monograph. 



Sdii/f Loii/s, S<'/)tcml)('r I'l, I'-Cit), 



TllK AUTUOKS. 



