Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-03-30
Rluh Men.

Neither DR.. Ponza nor Gen. PleasontCr
was the first person who made use of the al
lcged medicinal properties of the color blue
DIR. Ponza discovered that blue glass exercis
ed most beneficial influence upon insane
patients, and thereupou Gen. Pleasontor
tried it, and was so delighted with its effect
that he published pamphlet upon the sub
ject. Both of these distinguished men were,
however, anticipated by the traditional
monkey, who painted the tip of his tail sky
blue and complacently remarked that the ef-
feet was meat but not gaudy." lie doubt
less, did not fully understand the hygienic
properties Of blue, but OF him it may GER
tainly be said thst he painted better than he
knew. Beyond doubt his blue tail out
grew the uncultiyated tails of his fellow
monkeys, and thus illustrated the value of
blue, centuries before Ponza or Pleasonton
entertained the least idea of being born.
1t is a narrow conception of the usefulness
of blue which requires us to ,use it in the
shape of blue glass. If blue glass is good,
SO is blue paint, blue cloth, and blue cur
tains. This truth has already been dimly
perceived by one or two of Gen. Pleasorton' S
disciples, but it was left for returned mis-
siOnary to provo that blue In any form al
ways retains its wonderful tonic properties
The missionary in question spent large
part of his life in New Zealand. where he
moved in the best heathen circles, and en-
joyed the friendship of the most eminent
cannibals. The New Zealander is addicted
to tattooing himself in great variety of pat
terms ard colors, and the missionary soon no.
ticed that those who were tatOoei blue were
much more stalwart than red, green, or yell
low heather. lie found, moreover, that a
heather who tatooed himself blue above the
waist and yellow below would soon develop
great breadth of chest and power of lungs,
while his yellow legs would shrink and
dwindle into comparative insignifcance.
The meaning Of these facts could not be
misapprehended, and the missionary was
forced to believe that the effect of blue pig
ment introduced under the human cuticle,
Is in the highest degree beneficial.
1t would not be difficult to show that blue
clothing has also a stimulating effect npon
the wearer. Daniel Webster always wore
n blue coat, and it is needles to remark that
he was simply full of intellect Andrew
johnson was always addicted to blue coats,
whence doubtless he derived that wonder
fnl strength of mind that irrevercnt persons
mistook for obstinacy. The blue-uniformcd
Federal soldiers overrowered the gray le-
giOns of the South, and the blue-coated
French troops which had uniformly beaten
the white-coated Austrians, were, neyerthe-
less defeated by Germans dressed d uni
forms of a still darker shade of blue. 1t
should be noted, however, that blue cloth
ing, while its influence upon the brain can
not be doubted, has little or no effect upon
the body. 1t stimulates the intellect, de-
yelops courage and other moral qualities,
but it does not affect growth and develop
ment of the physical frame. Thus, the wear
ing Of blue stockings undoubtedly stimulates
the intellectual powers of New England
ladies who write poetry and advocate the
immediate reformation of everything, but
there is no reason to suppose that it develops
that is to say, that it improves the pro-
po-tions-in short, it does nothing of the
kind. All the evidence goes to show that
blue stockings benefit the mind and not the
muscles, and in this respect blue clothing
Of any sort is much inferior to glass or tat
York Times.