The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1896-05-01
WHY THE NEGRO Is BLACK.
A DISCUSSION on THE EFFECTS OF
CLIMATE on COMPLEXION.

saws Button, the elder, attributed
: the black skin OF the negro to the in
fluence OF climate, heat causing the
! color. Orgcas agreed with Button
He had observed the feeble develop
ment OF the pilO-sebace0us system
among negroes, who are less hairy
than the whites. Eijkmann devel'
oped vessels with human skin taken
from Malays and whites, and found
that the radiation OF heat passing
through Il black skin was not more
intense than that which passed
through a white skin. In this, says
! the writer, he agrees with MellOni,
Desains, Mason and Others, whose
researches show that the color OF an
inject # OF a tissue has no influence
on the obscure heat rays. On his care
fully separating the fat from the skin.
however, the natural conditions were
changed. In the second place, the
negro possesses a more developed sud-
dOripariOus system than w do. He
perspircs more freely, and loses heat
as an a%lcOrrazza does. There is evil
IDENTIFY, says the writer, Il close rcla.
tionship between the influence OF cuta.
ncOus augmentation and the sudd0ri-
parous glands and the two should be
stndied together. The skin OF the
negro becomes black after birth. lie
Cat noted, In l7O5, that the newborn
negro was Of Il reddish color, the root
OF the nails and the scrotum alone
being black. Two or three days after
birth the skin began to turn black.
Darwin also observed that the new
born Australian was OF Il br0wnish-ycl.
low color. The Ilindoo child at its
birth is white, although its parents
may be perfectly black. The adult
mar varies according to the ace tt
which he belongs. Aside from til,
heat, which has been especially spoken
of, we must, says the writer, rccog
nizc other causes OF equal Importance
Light seems to favor augmentation Of
the skin. In uniform heat the light
rays seem more active than the dark
ones. The sun tans, and women USE
parasOls and gloves to protect them
selves from it; darkness, on the con
trary, induces pallor. A%ristocrats,
who do not expose themselves to the
air, have a light, transparent skin.
The japanese OF distinction rarely
expose themselves to the air un.
yelled, and their skins are almost as
white us those Of Europeans. In Siam
the high classes also have IA light,
transparent skin. The drawings OF
the ancient Egyptians, Of the Etrus.
cans and OF the Mcxicans represent
women with light skins. A very
brilliant light browns the skin even
in cold countries. For instance. the
Ecquimaux are brown. The luminous
intensity OF the long days is such that
they are Obliged to protect their eyes
with glasses. In India the difference
between the color OF the skins is more
marked than among us, and Pariahs
black as negroes may be- seen side by
side with Brahmans white as Europe.
ans. The following type is very gen.
orally seen: Tall, straight and slcn.
der, with long heads, and an aqui.
line nose. The Brahman is especially
distinguished from the Pariah by his
naughty bearing. The castcs are very
numerous, says the writer, and among
them may be observed all the coffee.
colored tints, the purity Of which Is
not absolute.
Among the Brahmans, occasionally,
Of two children in the same family
one may be white and the other black.
The same is seen among the Pariahs
although the white skin Is more fire.
qucntly observed among the former
than among the latter. Certain cases
which are held In slight estimation,
such as the MOukhis and Chamars
who live In the shade Of the great
palm trees, have an extremely white
skin. Humidity favors augmentation
very distinctly. The countries where
there arc both great heat and great
humidity contain tho blacklist people,
The natives OF Barbary are very much
less deeply colored than the negroes
Of the Soudan, yet the uniform degree
of heat there is SO 1egress Fahrenheit
instead Of 74.4 degrees Farenheit, as
it is on the coast OF Guinea.
The Egyptian has remained white,
Notwithstanding the constant mkt.
urc with the black Nubians. The
people who live In the dry section OF
the Nubian desert have a red skin
other races that are brown or that
vary from a white to a clamOis color
also live in a dry country. The Abys-
sinians, however, in whose country
the plateau are well irrigated, are
blacker. The blacklist race OF negroes
in Africa are those who live in
Guinea, where the greatest amount OF
rain falls. In Asia, says the writer,
il is the same as in India. There is a
close relation between the fall OF rain
and the color Of the people. The more
moist the climate is, the darker the
skin OF the natives. As inc goes up
the Gauges the climate becomes drier
and the skin Of the natives whittier.
The Bengalese are black, but the
Sikhs and the Radjpouts are OF a
dead.white color. In America IL Is
the same. The Brazilians are gener-
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