The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1896-07-22

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the American disease" In his work
on American Nervousness" he treats
chiefly Of the causes Of the nervousness.
and itssymptoms. accepting almost asan
axiom the statement that Americans are
more nervous than any other race. and
that there Is vastly greater amount
Of nervous disease In this country than
In Europe. lie admits, however. that
the seyerer forms Of organic nervous
diseases, such as locomotor ataxia and
apopleXy. are probably less frequent.
the increase being In the so-called
functional conditions. neurasthcnia.
hysterla, and the like. Il Is probable
that the majority Of educated people not
physicians In this country would ad-
init without a murmur that as a people
We are peculiarly subject 10 nervous
disease
Although a. have said. the Stats.
tics are not conclusive, neycrthelcf,
such statistics as we have. and the
conclusions drawn from various gen
eral impressions. absolutely contradict
this belief II is only since he war
Of 1872 that the American has acquired
his reputation for restless energy: be-
fore that he was denounced as indolent
and sluggish. Up to the period OF the
civil war he was also denounced as
physically degenerate. Inferior In bulk
strength and endurance to his English
cousin. The civil war put an end tc
such talk. No armies endured more
than ours In the field: no people en-
dured more than those who stayed be-
hind waiting and helping.
The record OF the first Kentucky brl-
gade Ia the Confederate army. almost
continuously In action or on the march
for a hundred days In 1864. retreat
Ing from their homes. with the hope Of
success steadily fading away: l.1i0
strong at the beginning. suffering 1850
fatal or hospital wounds. with only 90
let unwouuded. yet mastering $50 al
the end. with less than 10 dosortioas-
fuch a record has never been surpassed
These men were OF the purest American
stock.
Al about the same time Dr. Brown
Sequard found that the American nam
mails survived injuries that were In
cyitably fatal 10 the European. and
our surgeons found a surprising per.
ccntage Of recovery from severe run
shot wounds. eIcatcr probably than
had ever been observed Ia Europe
Or D. A. Gould found that the Ameri-
can soldier was physically a. we'll de-
ycloped "a the European. and Or. H..
psDowditch found that the American
school-boy Was the equal 10 measure
ment OF the bows o. Eln and Purby.
American liiO-insurancc underwriters.
too. have found that the Longevity On
this country Is as great a. d Is in
Europe. or grea'er The rise % tho
south since the civil war. aad tho
prompt recovery OF individual com
munltics. such as Chicago. Boston, and
Portland. after great CONGREGATIONS.
are further instances OF the great re-
operative power O, our people
Since the civil war our physical CON
dillon has greatly improved. The
greater interest In athletics. and bet
ter cooking. have probably had some
thing TO do with this Improvement
We have held the Americas Gun for
nearly lfty years In shooting. rrlck-
e. rowing and tennis W. have not
been inicrlor in International contests.
and the New York athletes have no,
been inferior In international contests
In track athletics Yale has recently
shown her superiority TO Cambridge
and the New York athletics have not
only surprised their London rivals. but
have established new worlds records In
more than one event In the famous
ride a few years ago between Berlin
and Vienna the picked riders and
horses Of the Austrian and German ar
mics were used up. yet our cavalry
men and express messengers on the
plains. with ordinary mounts. have
made better records both for time and
distance, without the slightest injury to
horses or men.