The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1898-01-08
WHY WE ARE SICK.
Relation of Mans Evolution to His
Ailments.

Ailments.
An interesting paper was given at the
three hundred and twenty-eighth cor
porate meeting of the Boston Scientific
society by DR.. Cora Hosmer Flagg, the
subject of which was the relation of
mans evolution to his ailments. "It is
q common idea," said the speaker, shat
the human body is fixed and stable in
its structure and maryelously adapted
to it's supposed uses for definite ends.
But all the evidences from compare
tive anatomy, embryology and physiol-
ogy go to show that the majority of our
organs are combinations, rearrange-
ments and compromises necessitated by
the accidents of complexities
Much of this instability is due di-
rectly to the mechanics of the upright
position and to the fact that the body,
with its quadrupedal ancestry, has not
yet become perfectly adapted to it's new
position. Every region Of the body
shows evidences of this maladaptation.
Some structures are in state OF pro-
gression; that is, they are tending to
more perfect adaptation. Others are
slowly retrogressing, some having even
gone so far as to have gone wholly out
of use, remaining only as vestiges.
The pelvis and the backbone find
themselves with entirely different du-
ties in man from their previous ones in
the quadrupeds, so that here are es-
pecially marked differences. In the
beasts the pelvis has merely to bear
the weight of the end of the back
bone, but in man it has all the weight
of the trunk and the arms to sustain.
The result is that it has become com
pletely bowl-shaped and is not yet COM
pletely adapted to all it's functions, so
that it is the origin of numberless in
conveniences and diseases. In the same
way the backbone in man has assumed
two curves, one near the head and the
other near the base. AS another part
CT the adaptation there is the loss of
some ribs and the shortening of the
spinal cord, the latter being the result
of the loss of the tail. These all mark
weak spots in the human economy, each
of which us known to be responsible for
a number of the common ailments of
man.
Many of the ailments quoted by DR..
Flagg were technical in their nature,
but still there were quite number,
like the dwindling away of the tibia,
that are patent to everybody. This
bone, the smaller of the two in the hui
man leg, is equal to its companion in an
finals and shares the work with it. But
in man in his upright position it is
merely accessory; it has lost strength
and size, and, being in an exposed po-
sition, is subject to fracture. In the
same way the position of the femur is
SO changed with reference to the body
that the weight it must bear not in
frequently results in fracture in ;'s
weak place.
So far as the viscera iss~oncerneo,
they are nearly as wen-fdapted to YER
.;a. y 81 - - ay;.e~sal position. Some
20, q - n.se, however, been devel-
6ped, anons which may be noted the
vermiform appendix, which plays so
prominent a part in modern diseases.
In like manner the speaker went on
to show how other difficulties are the
: SSoAt VI A1eAh . CICCL lie
heart, with greater hydrostatic pres
sure, often fails under its burdens; the |
added pressure is responsible for vari-
,ose veins and similar troubles; the ex-
posing Of certain important blood yes
els, like the arteries of the leg and
I'm, is a source of danger; canals
which have their offices in the economy
+ lower animals become, through dis
Sc, sources of trouble, tonsilitis being
Inalady of such nature. In the brain
is a noticeable fact that the diseases
-e more commonly among those con-
buttons which man has added to the
reviously existing brain of the ami |
ais, and those lobes in which lie the
notions or instincts common to nearly
| animal life are quite exempt from t
sease. The more complex partsof the '
'ain are affected; hence suicide. which /
the result of thought, is common v
nong the insane, while they will re- n
st, as any animal would. attempts on
e part OF another to do them iniury.-
oston Transcript. y