Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-11-29
The Human Body, English and
American.

The conclusions OF study in comparative ma
uonanty OF some interest, presented In an artt-
Gle on English and American Physique in
the North american Il srie,r by DIR. George NJ
Beard may be summed up in the fact that the
environment OF the human animal in this coun-
try has developed the nervous at the expense of
the vascular and muscular systems. america, :"
says DR.. Beard, lis England in a minor key y
A broad statement, easier asserted than proved,
but resting on the general fact that the most
sensitive parts OF the human organism are worn
to sharper edge here than abroad and expose
broader surface to the influence of their sur
roundings This ENTHUSIASTICALLY true. DR..
nervous diseases; the old European types
heightened and new ones invented to VeX
Americans. The gospel OF worry probably has
more martys in single American state than In
all England put together. A keener nervous
action 1s apparent, not only In the abnormal
nervousness disease presents, but in a singular
incapacity for bearing the effect Of stimulants :;
which, as DR.. Beard says, has greatly reduced
and restricted the use OF alcoholic liquors Men
OF limited observation will be inclined to ion
issue at this point, but wide acquaintance Will
point out the extraordinary number OF Ameri-
cans, particularly those OF pure pedigree and
educated ancestry, who are forced to abandon
the ordinary use of stimulantS, customary
abroad and the rule In this country IS wears AGO
because the first glass units them for the slight
est considered effort. An Englishman guZzes
where an American scarcely sips.
Running on all fOurs with this nervous eX-
citability under stimulants comes a more rapid
utterance, quicker walk, keener touch and
sharper hearing, all a mere matter of nerves
DR.. Beard does not call attention TO another
fact which comes as corollary to this keen ner-
vousneSS, greater Self-cOntrol. AS German
professor noted some ten years ago, an Ameri-
can perpetually fighting his rebellious nerves
comes to be the most self-contained Of men.
Nothing hit the foreign observer at the Centen-
NAL more than that moving wonder, self
guarded American crowd, the units of which
were probably tncomparably more eXcitable
naturally than the units OF an English or Ger
la1
TO curious, 1mpaSSive Self-contrOl on the part
or audiences, is another of the matters in which
nervous development works its will. One par
tcular, not often connected with the nerves, Dr.
Beard calls attention to in the fact that decayed
teeth hurt more In nervous Americans: so that
superior dentistry, the discovery of ether the
entire American habit OF constant care of the
teeth, rests quite as much on their nervous sen
Sit1veneSS as on more treacherouS enamel
Closely allied TO this Is the fact now drawing
general attention abroad, that the American
Jaw Is, on the average, smaller, giving less room
for the teeth, and making necessary, In many
cases. the extraction OF two or four to give space
for the rest The percentage Of persons in
whom wisdom teeth fail TO appear is also larger
in the United States This In part springs from
the circumstance that Americans eat less
taking fewer meals and less at each meal; but
as is pointed out in this article, this springs
from the tncapacity OF the American to take
heavy doses OF food, just as he is unable to
stand much tea and coffee. The last, at least
Is F. Boards assertion. How he reconcileS 1t
idSt tHdC CUunUIy pTtStuGS very
much the largest per capita consumption of
co1ee and almost OF tea, 1t would be hard to say
The keener perception of outward things leads
as Or. Beard shows, to dislike for vivid colors
and strong contrasts in female dress. The
american woman has come to have the reputa-
ton or partisan" taste because any but sub
dued and complemented colors jar on her; and,
very possibly, by development OF the same
causes, the American male has come to be per-
haps the saddeSt clothed creature on the planet.
IN more important matter, female beauty, the
nervous force OF the race works we'll "The
american face is chiseled, the English moulded, -
SAYS ~. Beard In an extremely happy charac-
terlzatlon, and the remark need not be confined
TO the face. The feet and ankles of an English
woman are apt to look as If they were s'modeied'
In soft clay, and allowed to settle together at
That, and any Paris maker will tell YOU that
gloves for the American market have to be made
with longer fingers and measuring less around
the hand, palm and thumb together than for
wear abrOad--lSplinlfeld Repu6lican