Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1867-12-13
THE PHYSICAL STATURE oE
MANKIND.

TIE PHYSICAL STATURE OE
MANKIND.
1t is quite u common idea even among
the most learned of our physiological
philosophers, that the race of man is
constantly deteriorating, and u favorite
theme for them to dwell upon is to
%learnedly mourn over the physical infe-
riority Of the present generation, rs
compared with the preceding. They
tell US we are smaller in stature than
our ancestors, and MS an instance OF
how much NOR puuy we are growing,
they inform US that some Of our fathers,
or grandfathers, could with the greatest
imaginable facility pick up a barrel OF
cider with their hands and drink out OF
the bung. That oil sounds well enough,
and it shows a laudable proelivity on
the part of the old folks for that favorite
beverage; yet how much superior to u
ancestral cider lifters must have been
their great grandfathers in physical
capacity. They could probably pick up
a mill pond and drink out Of it, in case
its contents were cider. The immense
works left behind by the ancients, and
descending to US as relics of the Won
derful power they evidently brought to
bear when they chose, are cited rs evil
deuce of the giant races existing in
those days, rs compared with us of the
present age.
Now we arc unwilling to accept these
learned winnings over our alleged de-
terioration-our dephysicalized state,
so to speak-as having any foundation
in fact. That has always been a favor
lite theory from u earliest history.
Many hundred years ago, Pliny, in
speaking of the human stature, remark
ed that "the whole race of mankind
are daily becoming smaller" Homer,
too, on more than one occasion speaks
very d~isparagiugly of tho men of his
day, as compared with the heroes Of the
Trojan war. Were their ideas correct,
and the same imaginary ratio of dete-
rioration continued through the many
hundreds Of years since their time,
what a race of little Tom Thumbs we
should be. All evidence, however,
tends to show this discouraging theory
to be totally unjusti6able. The num-
mics and sarcophagi of Egypt are ample
and conclusive evidence that those who
inhabited that country three thousand
years ago, were not superior in size to
those of the present day. The same
may be said Of all the human bones,
(teeth especially relics Of former races
which have been and still are exhumed
from time to time, ancient armor, habit.
~ations, in short, all relics Of past ages
nothing goes to prove that mankind has
ever degenerated in physical stature.
As to the cider lifters and big men Of
past ages, we are fully able to match
them, morally, mentally, or physically.
We have plenty of athletes who would
not only lift up a barrel of good sweet
cider, willingly, for the sake of a drink
from the bung, but who can also elevate
heavy weights by the pure power Of
educated muscle, which would test the
lifting powers Of u ancestors pretty
severely; as to that matter none Of them
even had any license to outfit little
DR.. winship, of Boston. who, from the
simple education Of his muscular devel'
opment, has been enabled to raise from
the floor nearly or quite three thousand
pounds weight by the direct strength o.
his own small but sinewy carcass. The
a~ncients had their powerful mechanical
co~utrivances for the moving of heav,
bodies, as we also have ut the present
day, and some of their appliances il
that respect may have been superior tc
ours, but ever that is an open question
There were giants in those days, it ii
true, but they were looked upon as eI
traordinary men, same rs u giants o
the present day are.
It is said, too, that the demoralizins
tendencies of the numerous vices, ant
the manner Of living adopted by the
most civilized races of mankind, have {
tendency toward physical d~egeneracy
but we dispute that, also; for surely il
cannot be said that the savage races o
this continent, Australia or the uncivil
lied inhabitants of any of the south
Pacific islands ore our superiors, either
in stature or physical development
Thirty-three miles is laid down in thu
Bible as u " days Journey" but that ii
not considered as anything extra il
these days of great pedestrian perform
ances. Plenty of our newspaper carriers
beat that every day.
An IMPORTANT DEcIsIoN.-The Supreme
Court of Missouri, has recently rendered
rery important decision in an insurance case
TN f,css wore about rs follows: On the 81