The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1895-04-26
MAN AND WOMAN.
Tho difference in the Quality OF tho
Blood OF Men.


Tho difference IN the Quality OF tho
Blood OF Men.
Scientific observations are not yet
carried far enough to determine all tne
essential differences, but they are sur
fic .eut to overthrow Mr.. Herbert Spen-
GERS nferences that woman is "unde-
yeloped man." and anyone elses IN
ferences that man Is undeveloped Wo
man. But while the science Is IN tne
present state, the acknowledged ulI-
ferences of the sex Will be seized upon
by one side as an argument TOT Wo-
mans suffrage, and by the other as
reason against it. Take for instance,
metabolism. The difference IN the
oua,ity Of the blood of men and wo-
men is fundamental and OF vast I'M
portancc. Men have more red corpus
cles n their blood than women. Inc
functional power OF the blood Is, how
ever. measured by the amount OF
hoomogIob,n. and women average
8 per cent. less haemoglobin than men
The specific gravity OF the blood Is
h ghcr in men than In women NOT
are these mortifying facts offset by
the discovery that the plasm in wo-
men has somewhat higher specific
2itNllN Ildu III lltu. htlC 10 a NNAA
DpnSatlon In the observation that In old
women the specific gravity rises, ana
fins rise may be a factor in the great
er longevity of women. a direct bear
ing upon the result that once a voter
she would be longer a voter 1t is ad-
mitted that women are more precocious
than men, and that their developinent
Is earlier arrested.
Continuing the same subject, we find
that the heart of the male animal
beats more slowly than that Of the fe-
male. depending greatly upon the anil
mails size: The pulse rate of the ele-
phant is Is; of the horse, AZ; Of the
dog. rs: of the mouse, 120. Women
have more rapid pulse-beat than
men: after the age of seven their beats
average about ten in the minute moro
than men. This approach Of the pulse
rate Of the woman to the mouse has no
scientific connection with the fear Of
woman for that harmless animal-a
subject which has not received the at
tention it deserves. Like the matter of
respiration it may have something to
do with clothing. The vital capac-
ity." as the breathing power is called,
is decidedly less in women
alton is diaphragmatic; woman's
is costal. Men produce more carbonic
acid than women. and one result Of
this difference is that women have a
less keen need of air: they have a bet
ter chance of surviving exposure to
charcoal fumes. From this We might
jump to the conclusion that women
are better adapted TO bear the air of
Aal
be a hasty generalization on an insuf-
ficlent basis, for we do not yet know
what the normal woman Is. Recent
Investigations of civilized women and
uncivilzed-that is. to put ii roughly
those who wear and who do not wear
corsets-is leading TO a revision In re-
gard to the difference of sexual breath.
ing in normal conditions. The evi'
dence goes to show that the sexual
differences in respiration are not ma
tural, but are the results of the arti
6cial restrictions of dress usually WORT
by women. If this is so, the suffrage
movement will take on Il wider sweep
The object of the sex being vital cap
acity for public affairs, it will be ar
e,sed that the corset stands in the
way of the ballot. There are othel
considerations quite as important as
these, which cannot well b'
handled except in n scientific physio
logical treatise. There is the funda
mental difference in the voice and th'
thyroid g,and. This does not affect thu
mere act of voting by ballot, but 1t has
relations to other functions Of public
life, civil or military. And this is no
so easily changed. even by n long pro
cess of selection, as the respiration
The affectablity of women and the
emotiona'ity VIII also have to be dis
cussed. This makes women angels
and makes them the other thing
may decrease in social evolution, but |
is physologcally fundamental, an
can never be reduced to the male stan
dard, and perhaps 1t Is not desirabl
that It should be.-Charles Dude,
Warner in Harper's Magazine.