Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1865-12-22


the ANALYSIS of the ASH showed an
equally large percentage ofthe mineral ingre-
dients in favor Of the same, among which
were particularly named, potash, soda, lime,
magnesia, phosphoric acid, DC, &c. This
proves Il very important fact-one, for my
own part, was not prepared to anticipate
| | had previously supposed that the grain
| grown upon any soil, however poor, would
| be as rich in its organic and mineral conSti-
! tutents as that grown upon the richest soils,
| believing the difference would be alone in
| quantity, and not in quality. Such not be-
| ing the case, 1t proves To the farmer the
greater necessity of maintaining his land in
the best possible condition. In connection
with this subject, DIR. Peter, in speaking Of
! the character and quality Of the soil Of this
section of the State, formed by the disintc-
grafton Of the soft LAYERS Of the blue lime
stone of the lower Silurian epoch, remarks:
have often had occasion TO admire the
luxuriant growth Of the vegetables, and the
| rapid and perfect development of the ami
mails raised upon it. Compared with those
of the poorer soil of some Of the other geo
logical formations, the horses, mules, hogs
cattle, and even men, and the cats and dogs,
seem to be Of larger growth, and present
much more thrifty and well-fed appear
ancc."
So far rs it relates to domestic animals all
that DIR. Peters SAYS is probably true. These
are governed by instinct or the unerring
laws Of nIture-while man is endowed with
reason, which too often fails to govern his
appctites or passions, and hence his physi
cal condition Is impaired by violations Of
these laws.
large Hen Of WeSicra Vermont, Ohio and
Keatucky.-Dr. o. W. Holmes, the distin-
guished poet and author, also endorses the
lmestopS theory. He saws: In Kentucky,
Ohio and Western Vermont, men grow 70
large size because of the limestone fOrma-
ton under the soil"
The character Of the early settlers Of
these countries, and the habits Of life which
shey were necessarily compelled to adopt
had much more to do with their physical
development than the limestone that UNI
derlies those States.
Kentucky was first settled by men from
Virginia, the hardest among the inhabitants
Of that old comnonwealth-men who pos
scssed unusual resolution and strength OF
bodily constitution. They travelled seven or
eight hundred miles, without roads, through
an unbroken wilderness, inhabited only by
wild beasts and savage Indians. Men of
such a stamp, arriving in new and per-
fectly wild country, were compelled to adopt
the most simple and most natural habits
Of life, living in we'll ventilated cabins,
and whose daily bill of fare was corn bread
and the wild meat Of the country, and with
an abundance of labor in the open air. These
simple habits of life, practised by such
hardy stock could not fail to give to their
offspring great size and the most perfect
phvsical development. Thus for two gene
rations the mon of Kentucky surpassed in
size and physical endurance those Of any
other State. But at this time but a few Of
these large men are to be secn-a mere REM
nant og a former generation remains.
The standard of size now in Kentucky,
believe, will fall below that of Ohio, much
older State The change in the labor and
habits of life among the people of Kentucky,
since its early settlement has been very
great. The rapid increase of slavery and its
attendant evils, and the adoption Of easy and
luxurious habits Of life, dave changed the
whole physical aspect Of the people.
In a report Of the statistics of Ohio, fur
nished by the commissioner, Mr.. Mansfield,
some interesting facts are given, but the pres
ent length of this article will only admit of
a brief extract The average height of the
men in the interior Of Ohio Is five feet ten
and a half inches five inches above that of
the Belgians, two and a half inches above that
of the English recruits, and one and half
inches above that Of the Scotch IIighllndcrs.
OF the two hundred and thirty-nine indivi-
dlials taken promiscuously for measurement,
iifty-ninc, (one-fourth,) were six feet and
upwards, ten being above six feet two inches.
The great size Of the Nermonter may safely,
] think, be attributed to the character Of the
country and climate, which are favorable To
industry and simple habits of living.
Physical Degeneration Of WOmeR ia America.
But while well developed men may be
found in certain portions of the country, il
is a fact sustained by actual measurements
that the women Of America are inferior in
in size and physical health TO European
women and there are too palpable evidence
Of a continued decline in this respect. These
evidences are more manifest in the Older
States, and in the large cities. The question
NAV be asked, why are American women so
delicate? Ii may be answered that they live
too much in doors many of them take too
little exercise, while others are compelled 60
take too much exercise in confined and i'll
ventilated apartments. The English women
are much more hardy than those Of
America. Physical exercise forms an
important part Of the education Of girls in
England, while in America it is almost en-
tirely neglected. In England all classes Of
society take exercise in the open air even
the nobility pay great attention TO this
requisite tohealth. Without healthy women
we cannot have strong hardy men. Take
the statistics Of the large cities, say Boston,
New York and Philadelphia, and compare
the births from native parents with those OF
foreign origin, and we shall find very largo
per centage in favor ofthe foreign, and again,
compare the number of deaths among tho
children, the native with the foreign, and
large per centage will be found with the
American children. The greatest good Of
the country demands a reform in the habits
and physical education Of the young, and
particularly among the females. The ques-
ton is, how il it to be brought about