Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-09-22
Largest Circulation in City and State
THE NEGRO SCIENTIFICALLY
CONSIDERED. $50.

instructive and relates facts according
with the observation of every medical man
in the South and West who has had ex-
perience in treating the African constitu-
tion in a state of disease or in noting the
mental and psychical characteristics of that
people. The report says:
Before going into the peculiarities Of
their diseases, it is necessary TO glance at
the anatomical and Psychological differ
! ences between the negro and the white
man; otherwise their diseases cannot be
understood. 1t is commonly taken for
granted, that the color of the skin consti-
tutes the main and essential difference be-
tween the black and the white race but
| there are other differences more deep, du-
rable and indelible, in their anatomy and
physiology, than that of mere color. In
the albino the skin is white, yet the organ
ization is that of the negro. Besides, it is
not only in the skin, that a difference of
color exists between the negro and the
white man, but in the membranes, the mus
cle7. the tendons and in all the fluids and
seeretions Even the negro's brain and
nerves, the chyle and all the humora, are
tinctured with shade Of the peryading
darkness. His bile is Of a deeper color and
his blood is blacker than the white mans.
| There is the same difference in the flesh
| Of the white and black man, in regard TO
color, that exists between the flesh of the
| rabbit and the hare. His bones are whittier
| ard harder than those of the white race,
owing to their containing more phosphate of
| lime and less gelatine His head is hung
| on the atlas differently from the white man
| the face is thrown more upwards and the
| neck is shorter and less oblique the spine
more inwards, and the pelvis more OBJ
liquely outwards the thigh-bones larger
| and hattened from before backwards (; the
| bones more bent; the legs curved outwards
or bowed the feet fat; the gastrocnemi
! muscles (of the calf of the Leg smaller
the heel SO long, as TO make the ankle
| appear as if planted in the middle OF
The foot; the gait, er-hipped, or what
! the French call Failure 6chdRckCe, not I'M
/ like that of a person carrying burden.
| The projecting mouth, the retreating fore
| head, the broad, fat nose, thick lips and
| woolly hair are peculiaritles that strike
| every beholder. According to Semmer-
ring and other anatomists, who have dis
seoted the negro, his brain is ninth or
| tenth less than in other races of men, his
facial angle smaller, and all the nerves 60
| ing from the brain, as also the ganglionic
system of nerves. are larger in proportion
| than in the white man. The nerves dis
| tributed TO the muscles are an exception,
| being smaller than in the white race.
| Soemmering remarks that the negro's
| brain has in a great measure run into
| nerves. One Of the most striking differ
ences is found in the much greater size OF
the tordrnsn Hdqnum in the negro than in the
white man. heforamen, or orifce between
the brain and the spinal marrow, is not
only larger, but the medulla Oblongata, and
and particularly the nerves supplying the
| abdominal and pelvic Viscera. Although
/ The nose is fat the turbinated bones are
1 more developed, and the pituitary mem
brane, lining the internal cavities OF the
i nose, more extensive than in the white
/ man, and causing the sense Of smell to be
more acute. The negro's hearing is better,
his sight is stronger, and he seldom needs
spectacles.
The field of vision is not 80 large in the
negros eve as in the wife mans. He bears
the rays of the sun better, because he
is provided with an anatomical pecuiiarity
in the inner canthus, contracting the field
of vision, and excluding the suns rays
something like the membrane nictitans,
formed by preternatural development Of
the plica lunaris, like that which is observed
in apes. His initiative powers are very
great, and he can agitate every PIT of the
body at the same time, or whE he cslls
danciaq all Orer From the diffusion of the
brain, as it were, into the various organs OF
| the body, in the shape Of nerves to min
lister 10 the senses, everything, from the
necessity of such conformation, partakes
of sensuality, at the expense of intellectu-
| alitv. Thus. music is a mere sensual
Measure with the negro. There is nothing
In his music addressing the understanding;
it has melody, but no harmony; his songs
are mere sounds, without sense or mean
ing-pleasing the ear, without conveying a
singe idea to the mind his ear is gratitied
bv sound. az his stomach is by food. The
| great DEVELOPMENT of the nervous system,
and the profuse distribution of nervons
matter to the stomach, liver and genital
organs. would make the Ethiopian race en-
tirelv unmansgeable, if itwere not that this
excessive nervous development Is asso-
ciated with deficiency Of red blood in the
| pulmonary
fectiye atmospherization or naturalization
of the blood in the lungs-constitutlng the
best tvpe Of what is called the lymphatiC
temperament, in which lymph, phlegm
mucus, and other humors, predominant over
the red blood. IL is this defective hema-
tosis, or atmospherization OF the blood
conioined with a deficiency OF cerebral
matter in the Uranium, and an excess o.
nervous matter distributed 10 the organs o
sensation and assimilation, that is the true
cause of that debasement of mind, which
has rendered the people Of Africa unable tC
take care of themselves. 1t Is the tru'
cause Of their Incidence and apathy, anc
WHY thew have chosen, through counties
aces idleness. misery and barbarlsm, to IN
dIlsirv and frugality-why social industry
or associated labor, so essential TO all pro
rress in civilization and improvement
has never made any progres among them
or the arts and sciences taken rooton any
nort;on of African soil inhabited by them
as is proyed bv the fact that no letters, ol
even hieroglyphics-no buildings, roads o.
improvements, or monuments OF any klnd
are apv where found, TO indicate that they
have ever been awakened from their apathy
and sleepy Incidence, to physical or menta
exertion. To the same physlologlca
causes deeply rooted in the organization
we must look for an explanation OF th'
strange facts, why none of the languages
the native tribes of Africa, as proved b,
ethnographical researches, have risen abov
common names, standing for things ans
actions, to abstract terms or generallza
, tons; why no form Of government on ab
slract principles, with divisions OF Powe
into separate departments, has ever beel
instituted by them why they hav
always preferred, as more congenial +
their nature, a government combining tn
legislative, judicial and executive power
. in the same individual, in the person of
petty king, chioftain or master; why, i
America, ii let alone, they always pTefe
the same kind Of government which W
}. call slavery, but which is actually an in
provement on the government Of the
iorefathers, es it gives them more tran
4 4 II ~