Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1877-12-22
IRE WE DYING OUT9
Physical Degeneraey Of American
Women-1ts Causes and Effects
Upon the Race.

IDr. Nathan Alien. in the Journal Of Psycao-
logical Aedicine.l
The term degeneraey implies a decline in
qualities which were once possessed, and
which pertain to higher state of being or a
normal standard. This dee inc NAV take
place slowly OF rapidly, and I've transient or
permanent in its character. The nature of
these changes and results depends of course
upon the subject involved. Ii is propos I'd at
the present time to point ont certain changes
taking place In the physical systems of large
numbers OF our population that show a we'll
marked degeneracy.
AN ENfEEBLED RACE.
In making examinations with reference to
the draft AT the opening of the war. il was a
matter OF surprise to surgeons what large
number of men in the community were found
whom, by reason of infrmities or diseases
they were obliged To exempt from the draft.
III exact information could be obtained as to
day. are physically disqualified for military
service the result. We believe. would surprise
the public. Tits now generally admitted that
neither the men nor women of the present day
have the physical yigor and stamina that their
parents and grandparents possessed. They
can not begin To do the work. endure the hard
ships, or bear the exposures of their ancestors
The constitution has changed. The strong and
Welldeyeloped muscles. the large and Stalwart
frame, the stout and compact form, the abund-
ant supply oil pure. arterial blood-all of which
characterized the first settlers of this country
are now seldom found.
NEW TYPES OF DISEASE.
er, but marked in the eye of the Psychologist.
and rendered still more striking to the physi-
clan when the change in the present type and
S3aracter of the diseases Is conSidered-SO diff
ferent from what they once We're. While il
may be difficult to define, in every case, Just
what changes in disease have occurred, il is
admitted by the highest medical authorities
that important changes have taken place. and
that the treatment once required and found
successful cannot now be applied From the
testimony of aged physicians as well as from
splN
Il evident that there were in the case of our
ancestors relatively much more acute disease.
far greater violence in its attacks, and Il de
clded higher grade of inflammation, than exists
ut the present day. Then, they required a
great amount of venesectiOn. and the use of
powerful drugs. neither of which with rs is
often required or very well borne. We have.
moreover, a class of diseases. arising from
scrOfuluS complaints, states of general debili-
~. and predominance of the nervous system.
which once were almost unknown. Formerly.
cases OF dyspepsia. anemia, and neuralgia,
each OF which Il now the source of much dis
ease. were seldom found. but now are very
common. Cases of inflammation and congeS
ton OF brain. Of apopleXy. of paralysis, epiep-
Sy. COMMISSIONS. Ne, are lar more common
now than formerly. Once apopleXy and
paralysis were thought to he confined almost
exclusively la persons from 90 to so years of
age. but now they frequently occur from 10 To
60; and commissions, with other diseases of the
brain, have increased surprisingly in the case
OF children.
AMERICAN WOMEN
The loss OF muscle and increase of the ner-
yOlS temperament. together with a change in
the type and character Of diseases. apply with
FAR greater force To woman than 10 man. IL is
in her case more marked, more radical and AT
the same time more disastrous i'm its results
Within forty or fifty years great change has
taken place i'll the early training of girls as
well as the domestic habits of women. Once
large majority of the girls of our American
population were taught early to understand
and perform Homework. which. combined
door a \ IN
develop strong and healthy physical frames.
From the age oil SIX To sixteen, OF the girls of
that period, probably not more than half the
time. on the average. was devoted to school
education or Intellectual pursuits. I'm fact.
this would apply TO only the higher and
Weather classes, whereas the great ma ioTity
of girls of that age had much less schooling
than that. IL seems Ia he the order of nature
that the physical system is best developed and
strengI hened, when the person is. young
when all the tissues of the body are in "A natu-
raj state of growtl-and especially is this 80 in
the ease of the muscles which constitute the
moving powers of the whole system. But
what change has there been within a
short time in The education of girls. They
are now very generally Kept in school
from the age of six Ia sixteen, with only short
intermissions for rest and recreation. Very
little attention is paid to physical development
and health. They grow up with muscles weak
and soft. possess ing but little strength and
vitality. The brain, together with the nervous
system, is kept continually on a strain pro
ducng often, no doubt, a brilliancy and pre-
c0ciouSness of scholarship, without the stamina
OF constitution To sustain it. Hence many
girls. for the want of exercise, and by too close
application to studies, now early break down
i'll health or bring on weaknesses and diseases
which disable them more or less through life.
And just i'm proportion as this training of the
muscles are neglected in youth, i'll the same
proportion will ii disincline them afterward to
perform house labor. as we'll as all other kinds
OF work which require much eNertiOn In con-
sequence of this want of training or neglect of
large Numbers
possess that strength and firmnesS of muscle,
that stamina and vitality of constitution which
are Indispensable to sound and vigorous
healthy development seems to have been re-
versed: According to physiology this is the
natural order: first, the cellular tissue; then
the muscular, the cartilaganOus, the OsseOuS,
and the nervous: and. inasmuch as the muScu-
lar is the moving power of all the other tissues,
its proper exercise and development in child
hood becomes all-impOriant. Then the
brain and nervous tissue comes last i'm
the order of growth which should not be
pushed prematurey at the expense of the
growing state, they constantly require a large
amount of nutrition for growth. but, IL this
premature exercise of the brain demands more
than its legitimate share of the nutrition, the
whole system must suffer. The supply is not
equal to the demand. Hence, the natural
growth and development of the various tissues
of the body are more or less checked, causing
a want Of vitality-a deficiency OF good arte-
rial blood. Then commences early i'm life a
Weakness a feeblenesS which pervades the
whole system. peculiar palenesS indicating
state of anPmia, while at the same time there
is almost uniformly mental activity, a nerv-
Gus eXctability and restleSsneSs. entirely un-
healthy and unnatural. Connected with this
want of muscle and vitality i'm woman, there
are certain other conditions i'm her OrganiZa-
ton which indicate decline. In consequence
of neglect of physical exercise, and want of
vitality. there has arisen a very general state
of debility and an2mia, which is most fruit
full source of disease.
THE TYRANT FASHION.
There is another practice which is having a
most deleieriOus effect upon the female health.
and contributes largely towards the decline
and Weakening of her organization. We refer
to the fashions of the day, or style of dress,
which changes the form of the body, com
presses the chest and abdomen, thereby pre-
venting the proper expansion of the lungs, by
which the blood is OXygenated; it ObStructs
natural action of the heart, the stomach and
the bowels, and depresSes more or less all the
internal organs, especially those i'm the lower
region of the pelyis, thus interfering seriously
with the great laws of reproduction.
FEMALE COMPLAINTS.
Again: connected with this weak and re-
Taxed state of the muscular tissue, and with
the vementiOned effects Of fashion i'm
dress has sprung up class of very grave
complaints which once were comparatively
IL in, aud