Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1879-08-28
American Physique.

American Physique.
II has been. and is with large class
oI people to-day, generally received
opinion that Americans IA whole are
dehcient IN physical development. The
ldcal Jonathan, lem and withal wiry
specimen Of humanity, has been pouIi.
larry looked upon as the typical Amcri-
can citizen; but Jet US see II this theory
Is borne out by adequate evidence. <
distinguished lecturer connected with
the Harvard Medical School recently
stated before one Oi his classes that. on
n careful comparison Of the vital gtatis-
tics Of school children in this country
with those Of the same clags in England.
he found the Americans slightly superior
TO their English cousins in strength and
stature This statement. coming as il
does rom 80 high an authority, must be
surprise even u many scientific men.
Inc fact j. there has been a vast change
IN the physical condition Of American
gs,iitiIens during the past half century.
ne statistics Of our army surgeons
IN The late war show that our native
soiairrh were taller and stouter than
tI'if comrades from England, Ireland
or Germany. All our representative
men oi late years, with few exceptions.
have been men Of magnificent pbvsiquc.
ne members Of our present Congress
are remarkable in this respect. and nm
doubtcdly Afford the finest spectacle Of
physical development to be found among
existing legislative bodies.
Mr.. George VI. Beard. writing in a
recent number Of the ItJlnttc concern
( ing the future 81 America from phygi-
"a! standpoint, records very accurately
the causes which have led 10 these
changes. There ARE three important fac
II. L..
hcNe.opment Of any nation. viz, race.
climate and surrounding Perhaps the
most important factor Of all is climate.
IL u the difference in climate between
ih!- country and Europe which has
wrought such wonderful changes in our
people In 80 short a time. To iui,
cause alone may be ascribed our ton
dency % nervous diseases. for such
things a. nervous exhaustion and ner-
Nous fever, were comparatively unknown
during the first century Of this nations
existence. Our English ancestors. com
ing Ia these then inhuspitab.o shorSs.
brought with them their English tom
p"ramont which had been dcyclopcd
through centuries Of residence in a moist
and equah.c climate. Time was 70
quircd 10 bring about a change. but from
the day the Pilgrim Fathers landed on
tins continent there has been n cradua!
evolution Of a new race. The fcycrs in
cl8'ut 10 residence in n moist climate
have given place 10 the alarming train
of nervous affections which are often
7 regarded as mythical by many who still
retain the Anglo-Saxon tempcramcnt.
I With time also, wealth has increased;
4 people arc better fed, better clothed. bot
( ter able 10 Withstand the sudden changes
I 20 injurious 10 a foreigner. and in this
. s.gr ar-.s sss.. 4 - = b.. Z
Mr.. Beard also finds the agents which
are 10 alleviate nervous disorders. With
increased prosperity comes leisure. and
with leisure physical improvement. and
the above mentioned writer pictures 10
himself an ideal state of society in which
the wealthy few will bc occupied in ad-
vancing the temporal welfare Of the
needy many. His summing up Of the
result Of race evolution during the past
history Of the nation is. however. en-
iircly satisfactory; he says: During
tho last two decades. the weil-to-do
classes Of America have been yisibly
growing stronger, fuller. healthier. We
weigh more than our fathers: the women
IN All our great ccnters Of population are
yearly becoming more plump and beau
tiful. and in the leading brain working
occupations our men are also acquiring
Robustness. Amplitude. quantity Of being
On al! sides there j. n visible rcycrsion
to the better physical appearance Of our
English and German ancestors. 4 thou
sand boys and girls, thousand men in
the prime Of years. taken by accident in
any Of our largo cities. are heavier and
more substantial than were the same
number Of the same age and walk Of life
twenty-five years ago
Whence IL appears that the American.
in spite of his much-derided want Of en-
thusiasm for athletic sports. stands even
now al the head Of the nations in physi-
cal development; and this certainly i =
good omen for the future. .-Bozon Trdr-
cJlCT.