The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1879-11-01
CANT A NEGRO SNEEZE9
New York Sun.

New York Sun.
The following paragraph, copied into
u the Sun of Thursday from Florida
D paper, excited attention:
''Will some medical man explain
why it is that the negro is never known
to sneeze? Ask any old planter, who
owned scores of servants and he will
tell you he never heard one of his
servants sneeze. 1t may appear
very singular fact, but it is none the
, less true.
This statement having been contra
dicted the Sun determined to settle the
disputed question by obtaining num-
ber of interviews on the subject from
intelligent colored residents Of this
city. Without exception these inter
views resulted in indignant denials of
the statement that the nasal possibili-
ties of the man of color were not equal
to those of his white brother.
Ex-Alderman and the present Deputy
Sheriff, John Seaton, the ebon giant
who guards the lower hallway of the
Equitable building, was highly indig-
mont when shown printed statement
to the effect that negroes were never
known to sneeze. With q snort of
contempt he said, "Thats lie, and
know it's lie; for I'm a negro, and 1
sneeze. The fellow that wrote that
must have been loafer who had
nothing else to do. I'll bet I can
snaeze more times in a minute than he
even had dollars in his life."
In restaurant in Park Row, Josh
and George, and half dozen other
colored walters, listened with interest
to the reading of the obnoxious para
graph, and their black faces lighted
with broad grins before it was finished
"Well, knows l sneezes, said one.
Me, too, " said another; we all sneezes,
don't We, JOSH" But Josh only
smiled and walked away. George said
that he sneezed sometimes fit to sneeze
his head off
In the Astor house the fourishing of
4 whisk broom in close proximity to the
reporters ears was suddenly suspended
as We mildly inquired of the artist of
the broom, "Do you sneeze ?" ''Does
[ sneeze ! Does 1 sneeze Why of
course [ sneezes everybody what has
pref sneezes. Why, boss, you mus be
4 little off to ask me such fool ques-
ion as that"
At Twenty-third street and Sixth
venue Black Joe polishes boots but
le stopped his work in astonishment
when the reporter, upon whose boots
lie was laboring, asked him if gentle
nen of color like himself were able to
neeze. "Sneeze! Does colored gem
men sneeze. Well, now, dey jess do
or fact. Why, dey amt no sneezers
Il de worP like niger sneezers. Use
neezed morn four million times my
elf and even my fo' months ole baby
neezed that bad only this mornin' that
e sneezed hisself clean outer his cradle
n to de flo. Somebody was foolin'
er, for shuah, when he told yer that
arm bout us colored folks not sneezin."
A lusty colored youth who acts as
able boy in one of the great horse car
ables was willing to bet, ''an' de
oney planked down, that he could
leeze louder than any white man in
le city, and he knew "a feller what
)uld sneeze louder'n me-" Suiting
IS actions to his words he picked up
lisp of straw, tickled his nose with it
r a moment, shut his eyes, and, with
terrible contortion of the facial mus
es, startled the neighborhood with a
eeze so loud and so emphatic that it
)ne was sufficient to set at rest forever
e vexed question.
To make assurance double shure, the
porter called upon an eminent ply
ian in an uptown hospital, and
oused him from his perusal of work
history by the question, "Can a
gro sneeze?
Certainly, sir; to be sure negro y
y sneeze if he wants to-why not?"
But l mean, Doctor, are the nasal
sans OF negro so constructed as to
lder him capable of sneezing?"
'Oh, 1 understand; you, like the
ltleman who some time ago came to
with the conundrum Are flies
are in pursuit of informa-
D. Well, sir, as you, of course,
Nv, sneezing is one of the common
examples of reflex action. The
coming in contact with the
cate schneiderian membrane lining
infundibulum and meatus nasi. acts
N irritant to the branches of the
l pair, which impressions being CON
ed to the medulla excites the expul-
pulmonary muscles and causes the
Of sternutation. Having examined
eat number of masorum Africani
ng my historical researches, l find
of naso-palatine, the nassI~
nents of the ophthalmic, and the NJ
lerous branches # meckels zane.
, to be identical in the two races:
hat a .nri5ri that which causes
mutation IN the one case must cause
the other