The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1873-07-03
LESSONS ON POPULATION.
"s SUGGESTED BY GREcIAN AND MODERN
- HISTORY.
TFrOna the chronological Jo,srn nal ]


The following is from a review
of Dr. Nathan Aliens pamphlet,
with the above title. The review
was written by Or. ID. F. Condie, of
Philadelphia. and published in the
American Journal of Medical Sci
.ences, for April, 1878:
In this well written and highly
suggestive pamphlet, DIR. Allen has
examined the lie ssons on population,
based upon facts deducible from the
histo-yof the downfall Of ancient
Greece and Rome. DR.. Allen shows
with great clearness, as positive evil
dence in support of his views, adj
Vanced in preceding publications, in
respect to population, that when
this is dependent mainly upon nat
ural human increase, it must necess-
arily becoms diminished by the
prevalence of causes having q ten
dency to render prominent in peo-
pie morbid excess of the nervous
temperament. When the great mass
of any community is seeking after an
extravagantly high standard of self
comfort as their supreme good"
with all the energy, perseverance,
and ingenuity, they can command.
everything standing in the way of
Its attainment must and will be sac
1ifced, even including marriage and
paternal relationship, if these be
thought IN any degree to conflict
with it.
The lessons, based upon the
teachings of Grecian and Roman his
tory, DIR. A. would apply to the old
er settlements of our own country
upon its Atlantic border. ''As a
people," he remarks, "we have set
up high standard of comfort-ex-
t'avagant and too expensive; it has
too many wants, and requires such
an amount Of physical stamina and
brain-power, as to result in p@ema-
ture exhaustion. This standard is
based too much on mere wealth and
the selfish nature of mar; it is not
calculated to develop harmoniously
or in the most healthy manner, all
! srts of the human body; nor3to aid
T. it should in developing the moral
and religious character of man, in ac-
cordance with the revealed will of
God. The results of such a type
of organization were determined, in
the case of Greece and Rome, near
two thousand years ago, the former
fourishing some SIX hundred years,
and the latter five hundred. 1t is
now two hundred and fifty years
since the first settlement of New En-
gland, and, as people, we are al.
ready reaching crisis, a culmina-
ting point in history, where it is be-
coming question whether there is,
from year TO year, an actual increase
or not Of native population. And if
a decline once commence, the decrease
may be rapid. We can not well de-
cieve ourselves if we would, for there
are agents or causes working gradu-
ally and quietly, which seriously
threaten the best interests of our peo-
ple."
We see the fact and lament it.
There is less viriIity in our New
England stock to-day than a hun
dred years ago. One cause is given
above, namely, excessive mental ac-
tivity or predominance of the men
tai temperament. Infant schools
make precocious intellects instead
of promoting bodily growth. Fash
lonable mothers and dissipated ia b.
ers do not improve he health of the
race, and the thousand artifcialities
n mode rn life tend to lessen our
stamina. Until we adopt temper
ate mode Of life, and live hygienic-
ally, we shall become more and more
barren. We must return to more
natural and less artificial condition
1t we would not ''run OUT
-4 o.
The proper location of the windows
In stables Is said To he of the hirbas+