Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-02-16
BAD HEALTH AND BODILY FRACILI
TY IN AMERICANS.
From the London Times, January a6. !

"nat IL 70 De the future destiny OF the great
race which inhabits the opposite shores Of the
Atlsntic2 Springing from the old English
stock, and engratting on itself shoots from every
European people, ii is advancing with unpreoe-
dented rapidity to power and wealth. We our
selves are OF the Optimists; cannot believe
that nature or the course of human events
should recede, and that the American people
should be other than what its institutions, its
natural advantages and the singular energy of
Its character seem to promise. But there are
not wanting prophets the other side and
strange to say, they usually make their ap-
Pearance among the Americans themselves. Of
cour' e. 1t ID to be expected that North should
dePreciate South, and the descendant of Vir-
glnlan cavaliers affect to look with scorn upon
The descendant Of Massachusetts Puritans: but
something more than this sectional rivalry has
lately become the fashion. Indeed our repub-
llcan friends, who are in many respects only
exaggsrsti0ns of ourselves are accustomed to
mingie self-depreciation with boasting after the
most approved custom of the old country
Whether they believe what they say against
themselves as much what they say In their
own praise is another question.
Now, within the last few years there seems to
have arisen feeling that the American physi-
cally Is not what he or she ought to be- Whether
the doctors have set the idea in motion or
whether Mr.. Kingsley works and the example
OF the English public schools have had an effect
on the Transatlantic mind, certain it is that
one cannot take up an American magazine or
newspaper without finding q lamentation on
the muscular degeneracy of the New World
rarents aud scnooimasters and Schoomistresses
are exnorted 10 take care Of the youth of both
sexes who are growing up under their charge.
anu 10 see tnat they DO not turn out mere in
teiIectual prodigies without any bodily stam-
Ina To believe these writers, the new race of
hmericans Is kind Of artificial growth in
which all the substance and vigor which should
Ql In ka las LIZ Il
hair, have been concentrated in the brain. In
the last century Button and the naturaIists of
that time started a theory that since the ami
mails found in the New World were of a smaller
and weaker type than those Of the Old there
Rre the European race of men must necessari-
sAdegenerate, and. after a century or two, be
liar inferior 10 Euglishmen, Frenchmen and
eniards as the puma is TO the BarUary lion
Als speculation used to cause great anger
I-among the Americans of the old school, who
AFTER reciting their exploits against the Eng
llsh, were accustomed to explain that even
tneir ssVages were the finest Of all possible
sayages, and that no Asiatic or African tribe
could possibly compare with the red men of
the New World. But the reaction against this
selfcOmplacent estimate has rece1tly been
carried 50 far that we should not be surprised
TO see some American naturalist resuscitating
the old theory.
An extract which we make from the Phila
deiphia Evening Journal gives fair notion of
1the way IN which Americans are accustomed
speak on this subject. From all sides are
4Sard similar complaints Of the neglect of *
4R2 by all classes of the American popula-
Ton, ~ warnings that the physical structure
e H. ReSple is deterioratiEg i'm consequence
,lIho1eAFes> indeed, certain facts which are un-
szsnpt whether want of exercise be the
GGem or merely the effect il is not
be1UbdA determine. Among the well-to-do
asesseHt seems undOubtei tnat the standard
eeneaith Is not "a high as i'll England Itis
said that among women especially there ia a
Tar greater amount OF general weakness than
In European countries, aud that those families
OF healthy girls which are to be found in Eng
Ind hardly have al existence in the New
World The men, too, are generally lyspeptic:
though often tall, their limbs are not developed,
the maScleS ot the arm and the calf of the
leg seem wanting, the cheeks are sunken and
the check bones high both sexes are certainly
very subject 10 badness. and the early loss OF
the teeth IS SO Common that we cannot wonder
that American dentists take high place in the
profession In the words Of the Philadelphia
paper: - The incipient man 1--WE take an .1-
treme case) is n thin, frail creature His face
can be spanned with both hands. and there
will be some hand to spare" And so the writer
goes on To eriticise the chest arms and legs of
the younger American citizens The ladies'
are equally hardly dealt with Her waist is
waSplsh, and her foot is minute: but the
chances are strong that she stoops or Iimps. has
cold, and does no blooming without the aid
OF rouge" Allowing for some exagyeratiop of
Language, it may be said, however. that this
picture OF the younger inhabitants of the At.
lantic cities has some ething of truth in it, The
cause We do not pretend To discover Probohlv
the influences OF climate are chiefly concerned
In some par : Of the U Union the race is certainly
very hne, though still marked by the same
character OF .ednness. and an absence of roun1
ed outlines The heniuckian however, is about
the last man who could be charged with want
of muscular power, of physical activity and
vitality. 1t wOIld almost seem that the Eu-
rOpean race undcrgOcs change directly il is
transplanted into the New World and that i'm
the course Of a Few generations it approaches
the Indian type. Ii is certain that the cotem-
Poraries vi Washington looked tar more like
hpglish people than the slim gentlemen whom
nMsst wandering over the continental the
IsDgapepsHay. The cid portrait would show this,
ncNsA - were not to be noticed in many old
a pHl4GA9 9ericans, who have much less of what
eSeconaffig the national east of countcnance
- eir sons and grandsons 1t may be,
ss0e5 tdat certain regions like the Atlantis
f9Qnst- or certain modes of life. do not suit the
white mans constitution during this transition:
and hence the general want Of health and
strength, the dlsincllnation fJr bodily exercise
-AAd the early loss Of yigor, which il seems i'm
Il ppssible to deny. The next generation NAV
-4rOT out Of this constitutional weakness. or the
e'h may SoH'ihuo ~ sap lne vitality OF the
race In certain portions Of the Union. Science
or different mode of life may do much to pro-
vide a remedy.
American writer's generally utter the same
exhortatlons as We find in the PHILADELPHIA
journal. The athletic sports of the English are
held up as an example, though with a kind of
wonder that youths, and even grown men,.
should take such pleasure in leaping a fence,
striking and catching n leathern bail or kick
ing an inflated bladder Lately We beIieve
that cricket has been naturaIized in the States
with what success the future must determine
But II Is certain that the Americans both
yousg and old, are with difficulty led 10 t.ke
any muscular exercise. A carpenter or n ear.
dener does his work because he is paid for il
but no one will use lis arms and leg. without
prospect OF remuneration Gentlemen will
never walk If they eau possibly drive and
when they have no particular object in going
anywhere they sit down and smoke. Boys, in
the intervals of school hours, are far more
Likely 10 read q newspaper than to run aud
n nVtp f A