The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-11-10

Form the Pail Mall Gazette.
In the prescientific era savages were
regarded as the happiest of mortals.
The Spanish conquerors admitted the
fact, but they assigned it to the visible
protection of devils. Cartier and Drake
and Raleigh agreed that men lived in
America as in the golden age. Cook
was perplexed by the felicity of those
very sinful islanders OF the South sea,
Rousseau built his theory of human
rights upon the innocent happiness of
rrimeval man, and Voltaire wrote
tale, famous In its day, with this mo-
tiff. Our Johnson would have none of
1t, of course, and presently the reac-
ton set in. 1t was proved by odeduc-
tive argument that the savage is a
miserable creature-sad, weakly, prey
to disease; in all respects inferior to
the civilized man. There are plenty
OF people who hold this view STILL
though the wise have ceased to rely on
deductive argument in matters of the
sort. 1t is comforting for humdrum
townsfolk to believe that those who
dwell, seemingly without a care amid
the glories of the tropics are really far
worse off than themselves. To envy
though unconscious attribute the
ready acceptance and the obstinate
survival of statements which are only
true, in fact Of a tiny percentage
among the savage people, if at all.
II is allowed, even to proverb that
the supreme compensation for misery
Is health, and so this is denied in the
first place. But 1t may be asserted
roundly that every disease of an cpl
demic character by which savages are
afflicted has been introduced by white
men. The Hottentots were almost the
lowest; very few of them remain now.
In 1874, when they abounded, a terri
BILE unknown malady aSSailed them
and Gov Goske drew up a report upon
the subject
It states that the Hottentots did not
suffer from any particular disease un-
til the arrival of Europeans Many
reached a great age. Famine lessened
their numbers periodically, but IT was
not attended by fever; this is striking
testimony to their soundness of con-
stitution. for the consequences of
dearth generally claim more victims
than the dearth itself. We have de-
populated whole countries with small
pox, measles. scarlet fever, consump-
ton, and know not how many
plaques, but has 1t ever been alleged
that the poor savage Impaired one to
US? The origin of leprosy is mysteri-
Gus, even If we agree upon the form of
disease so described, but all the white
persons who have ever taken it in
India. China and South Africa could
be counted in hundreds only. PERTAINS
In scores. Rheumatism is hardly
known among the people who go naked.
affections of the nerves quite unknown.
Even toothache Will rarely be heard
OF. still more rarely seen.
sAvAGES ARE MUSCULAR.
But the most efficient tests of general
health are fine build. muscular strength
and readiness of the flesh to heal under
injury. Upon each Of these points the
evidence is overwhelming In favor OF
the savages. There are races Of low
stature among them, as throughout the
Tar East; but Rajah Brooke could find
plenty Of his subjects under feet 8
inches who would hold their own in a
trial Of strength against European ath-
letes. Joke, the kennowit warrior who
carried Walter Watson in a chair seven
miles over jungle path, with one halt
or ten minutes, was very little over
feet Watson weighed fully sixteen
stone-I knew them both. But most of
the savage tribes show stature and a
chest equal to those of Europeans.
nourced the Indians OF the Orinoko the
finest specimens of the human race OF
their neighbors on the Amazon Wallace
says: The development of the chest
is such as I believe never exists in the
best formed Europeans, exhibiting a
splendid series of convex undulations,
without a hollow IN any part of IT."
In spite of drink and degradation, the
physique of the Indians in the Unsted
States IS stil1 above the average of
whites. The Zulu is almost becoming
a proverb for superb development, but
other Kaffirs equal him, and the big
gest group of men ever saw We're bas-
tard Griquas, belonging to some no
madic families. encountered when
lost my way on the veldt by Campbell
grounds. But the most tremendous
creatures in my experience are Kroo-
men. In average height they do not
equal the Papuan giants OF New GUM
ca, but their breadth Of shoulder is al
most a deformity.
Power OF muscle Is not necessarily a
sign Of health, but It demands note.
Drake was cool-headed man, and
truthful above all, but he wrote that
the Indians Of California are common