Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1863-04-15

FIRE was not altogether Intellectual.
The Monitors fred altogether about 100
rounds.
The numerical weakness Of the land
force rendered their direct cooperation in
the attack imprscticable. Upon the navy
devolved the main share Of the work, and
all the fighting was done by it alone.
American PhysiQue-Americnns as Fight
DR.. William H. Thompson, of New York,
who was last year appointed by Governor
Morgan as State Medical Examiner of the
new recruits required to fill the old regi-
ments, has made very interesting and in
structive report regarding the physique Of
Americans as compared with men of other
natiOnalites. Between the middle of
Jaly and the beginning of October, the
Doctor examined about nine thousand re-
cruits, which certainly afforded him
abundant opportunity for a we'll consider
ed verdict as TO the condition of the differ
ent nationalities. OF the above number,
the native Americans exceeded by about
one hundred the sum total of foreigners.
In stature the American born ranked the
highest the English next, the Irish next
the Germans next and the French last.
Stature, however, was only one feature of
the physical conformation taken into ac-
count. The Doctor classed those whom
he examined into four urclasses-prime, good,
Indifferent and bad. In the first were
those who had good osseOus system, as
shown by the shape of the skull, the bones
of the thorax and the flores and the lines
of the extremities. The shape and condi-
ton of the muscles was also carefully con-
sidered. Under the second class-or good
was included those who had a good
muscular development but imperfect Osse-
GUS system, as shown in lack of symmetry,
bow legs, fat feet Sc. Under the head of
indifferent were those who had tendency
to constitutional disease, and under the
head Of bad, those whose conformation had
never been good, nor ever would be. DR..
Thompson thus sums up his conclusions,
which, it will be seen, give the palm Of
superiority 10 the Americans;
"The results of these observations are
the following:
"0f American-born recruits AS per
cent. had prime physique the Irish 35
per cent and the Germans 40.75 per cent.
The percentage Of good physique was,
Americans 36, Irish 38, Germans 385.
The percentage of Indifferent was,
Americans 1875, Irish 1875, Germans 49,
"The percentage of bad, Americans 8,
Irish rs, Germans per cent
81 From this it will be perceived that the
Americans show the highest rate of prime
physique, the Germans next, and the Irish
last. OF good the IRISH and Germans are
nearly equal, and four per cent more than
the Americans, but this is owing to the
excess Of the latter in prime.
G0f Indifferent, the Irish are one-half
higher than the Germans, which last are
81 per cent. higher than the Americans
OF the bad, the Irish are more than dou.
BILE the Americans and Germans, who in
this respect stand alike. So far, therefore,
these figures seem favorable to the Ameri-
can born; but there are several considera-
tiOns to be taken into account, which will,
to a certain extent, modify the differences
to be drawn from them. In the first place,
the Americans we're largely from classes
of society who from youth have been able
to command better facilities in food, cloth
ing and shelter, than the classes from
whom the immigrant population is deriv-
ed What an influence this must exert on
physical development is sadly illustrated
by the mortality returns of this city,
which show that though the American pop
ulation is not exceeded by the foreign, yet
that seven children Of foreign-born pa
rents die in g year to one American
child
"Besides, more than half the Americans
were born and reared in country districts,
and the difference which this fact causes
may be shown by comparing among them
the city and country recruits. Thus the
proportion Of prime among city Americans
was AZ per cent; country So per cent; Of
good, city 40 per cent; country 29 per
cent; Of Indifferent, city IA per cent,
country II per cent. of bad, city 4 per
cent, country per cent. Another reason
why the Irish are double the Americans in
physique seemed to be that they were
often recruited, forseveral Irish regiments,
almost exclusively from the Sixth ward,
one Of the most active recruiting stations
being the Toombs prison ITSELF and such
specimens as occasionally presented them
selves TO our eyes and noses from those
regions could scarcely be surpassed by
Macbeth's witches themselves.
AMERICAN SUPERIORITY.
"Still these considerations do not affect
the actual standing of the American re-
cruits, for whatever the causes may be that
have aided them, feel safe in voting their
physical development as of the highest or
der and I have seen specimens of the ar
mics of nearly all European, as we'll as
Eastern nations. With the exception of
general loss Of fat, do not believe that
there is another race that can show a
larger proportion in the average popula-
tion of excellent osseous and muscular de
velOpment. This would ascribe almost
wholly to the widely diffused blessings of
meat and drink, and to comforts of life
possessed by nearly all Least Of all would
l set it down to the score of race, for it is
doubtful if there is such a thing as IN
mixed race in America No sooner does
one nationality reach this shore, where all
the political, social and religious separa-
tives of the Old World fail to survive the
sea voyage, than it rapidly merges into
another, and all the rare elements of
Europe soon become utterly dissolved in a
Well-stirred mixture Of Anglo Saxons, Hol-