The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1881-07-14
The New American PhIsiaue.

The New American Physique.
The physical stamina of a N alton un-
doubtedly lies-at the roots of its
achievements, and q weak one, bodies
meager results and an inferior people.
Absinthe and its kindred social and
physical evils, affecting French bodies,
had not a little to do with the collapse
of the Empire under the stress of the
more robust Germans. AT this season
when doctors gather and are made in
multitudes, it is very pertinent ques-
tion to ask what is and is to be the
American physique. The inquiry is not
only wide but mixed That there is
such thing as an American one, in
contrast to the English or any other
European race, is affirmed by the Ma
tional differences of climate, diet and
social habits. The first New England
colonists were stalwart Englishmen, but
the portraits of their immediate de-
scendants show marked change to an
American type of face and form; and
that, too, not better one.
Observant British officers in the Rev
olution, young Anbury among them,
speak of our population as a tall, mea-
ger, sallow set, with very bad teeth,
much given to sweets and saleratus.
English miners brought out to Mary
land or ,Pennsylvania loose their color
and tend to leanness during their life.
time, while their children grow to a
new type. Climate has much to do
with this, and it is in general true that
our American climate, more than any
European one, breeds nervousness, and,
indeed, nervous diseases have of late
years greatly multiplied. But then we
have every kind OF climate, and this
creates diversity of National physique.
The men of malarial and Southern re-
gions have u very different look from
the men who inhabit our mountainous
or Northern ones. Then. too, race very
largely determines physique. The root
of the American race was of old, and is
in many quarters to day, an English
one; yet its blood is coming to be curl
ously mixed, and in many sections, as
in the far West, where we touch the
Indian and Spanish races, and in ouI
large cities, the population is polyglot
beyond most. Add to such diversities
the differing social and industrial hab-
its of widespread people, aud it is no
easy matter to sum up the actual per.
fects and defects o., the American phys
ique as it is to-day, or promises to be
tomorrow. T-,- ---.-..-lr. ..rI r
Some things are tolerably plain, how
ever. The American is, upon the
whole, reaching better physical de,
velopment. Men live longer than in
the medieval ages; an American
mechanic is better fed than an English
lord of the thirteenth century, as the
PASTOR Letters show, and few of our
housewives would allow diningroon
as dirty as Queen Elizabeth was, when
among the strewn rushes they flung
their waste bits of meat at dinner to de,
cay unseen, if not unsmelt, to the great
comfort OF typhus and the court oil
death Men are larger, too. in general
for most of the medieval coats OF mai
in the museum seem made for mer
rather understood, as measured BY
modern standards. Sanitary science
even with its presents applied limits, save:
life and invigorates the National body
Of course there are, and always will be
exceptions. Drunkenness, overwork,
poverty, transmitted taint of diseased
or vicious parentage will still work ruin
and the graves of the innocent multiply
But in spite of all, the tokens are no
few nor faint of decided advance il
physical vitality as Nation. ........
Curiously enough, this progress i
more marked in the cities and larg,
towns than in the country. This Il
| partly due to the fact that in centers o
wealth there is a large class not over
worked and leading life obedient t.
the laws of health. Besides, city peo
| pie of the business class, giving them
selves in business hours to their affairs
with all their energies. have come Il
know that in order not to die young
they must make sharp change daily
{ and s.eep the sleep OF the wise if not o
4 the just. The nervous system, so sadl,
| drained by over-excitement, is yet tn,
| steam-power of the body. ut the .cente
| of its functions, and when fairly treateC
is fountain of life. Physical exercis,
rests it, and it returns after such refresh
ment to do the best work again. /
was this nervous system, well fed ant
nurtured, which often in our late wa
helped city boy to pull through th'
fatigues OF a campaign when his coun
try brother fell out of the ranks or sunl
j under disease. tAIi= '-rii- OH ~
/ The man, society or church whicI
will teach large masses of our people il
city or country how to cook q steak
make a soup, and to diversity, with NJ
great increase of expense, their dali,
fare, will merit well of philanthropy anC
/ of country. The farms are the place
to foster the best physical manhood, ant
future progress in health must take not.
of this great opportunity. As fine
looking set of men, physically, as liv,
on the face of the globe, are the Liver
pool merchants out for a walk on Sun
days. In our cities, at least, men an,
women are returning to the robust En-
glish type in body, and the number @
stout people steadily increases. Thi
every observant dress maker and tailo
will no doubt bear witness to.
That crossing of races which is shap
ing mentally and physically the futur
American population has great man
unsolved problems and possibilities I
it. 1t is clearly impossible to note an
mete them out off-hand. But wha
with diversity of food and climate, an
| better knowledge of health laws,
certainly looks as though the America
physique of the future is to be robust
stalwart and full of vitality. Thos
gracious servants, the doctors, are sc
to cure disease; but if ian ounce G
4 prevention be worth pound of cure,
i it follows that one main function 9
medical science is to find ways an,
means to develop the American physiqu
into its full form and power. 1t ma
\ not always rebound to the multiplics
ton OF their fees, but they are to
philanthropic to wish to become nurse
to an enfeebled race, and too patrioti
not to strive to make their own Natio
stalwart and vital.-Boston advertiser
IT is asserteS that the German Goy