New-York tribune., 1899-03-26
rho character Of the show II 1t is permitted 10
come off The Legislature ought to prevent II
by repeating the Horton act
rs THE R4CE DEGENERATiNGF

Is THE RACE DEGENERATiNGF
Dr. J. III. Kellogg. OF Battle Creek, Mich''
saws no Is not pessmist; but In MS auui'SS
before the Hundred Year club. In TINS cl'y'
thc other evening he took n decidedly p'sSl-
mistIc view Of the human race. The oplii'o"
Is widely entertained that In these last years
of the nineteenth century the race Is slowly
but surely improving. both morally ana phySi-
calIv. DR. Kellogg not only denies this' pu'
asserts that the race is dying 1his j. Nv
cdcdly startling If true. and makes IL worth
while to note the arguments adduced by me
cssaylst In support of his assertion.
First he declares that he has studied the
nhvslcol condition Of n great many young men
and women. and has found them to possess
less stamina than their parents. This assertion
* hardly conclusive. 1t Is not the business o'
q nhvsician to examine hale and hearty people,
ond presumably. therefore. Or. Kellogg has no
informotion concerning the millions OF young
mon and women who either equal or s'irphsS
their parcnts I'm physical stamina. \ physl-
clans eyperiencc gives him great deal OF
valuable pathological information; but because
overvbodv who consults him Is III he mas 10
richt 10 conclude that there are no well people
i'm the world.
,nother nroof Of deterioration Is found in the
oIIeced increase of imbccilps and lunatcs.
"rberc are" saws DIR. Kellogg three times ~
"monv insane to the million people to-day as
"fftv wears ago Fifty years ago there were
"six hundred insane to the million. ana todaE
"tboro are three times as many there are
.oightocn hundrrd If the race keeps degen-
"oratino M this rate in 265 years. rs | nave
..fcured II I'D. our whole population VIII De
..oi,hor idiots lunatics or imbcccs. The WhOlc
"countrv * filed with dcgcncrates ana at TINS
"roto os have said II is but question OF
",tr,o Union thc whole race will he degenerated
.if something does not check their downward
..corccr You see pale. hollow-cycd people in
"our onices I'm orr schools. and In our homes
.rbcsc are the kind Of people Of whom Snake
..,,ooro ..id. Cassius has lean and hungry
.look. such men are dangerous. And they
"orc dangerous. and they are in danger too
"Noticc that little boy with the pale, pInched
.c,o 11o l. hoino literally starved. Not be-
"cause his mother does not give him enough
"to eat. for II is not what we eat Du' WHAT
.wo digest that gives us life. II is not the
amount Of food that We swallow pu' .l'
"omonnt we assimilate that gives us energy.
Now. without AT all questioning the accuracy
If Dr Kclloggs figures or his entire honesty
n ii M.
thinc and everything may be, and is proved
bv figures Abstract symbols though 'ne| H''
thov breathe the most intense personality When
cmplovcd by earnest and honest men 10 'S'"p
ush or overthrow some belief. Oftcntmes 1t
* the man behind the figures that reai! 'oun.'
ami tho bcarcr or reader. failing to realize this
carries away wrong impression from S'"lH
,i.s ,bat in themselves are entirely truthful
II would he hOrrifying. for instance 10 red" !"
,,,, ,,o,,ore sone morning that half the popua
tIon Of an area twenty miles square III 'he / dl
West had been killed by lightning. bu' nh"'h
of the horror would die away wheh 4" WIS
learned that the population OF 'h' area ~
fcr7cd 10 had been only two. DR. hellogg' IL
onncars from his address. is n vegetarian anu
q total abStainer. He believes tha' 'he "s' VI
intoxiCants and the eating OF neSh are reSion
sihln for most OF the Ills that flesh IS heir 'o
and that were the human race 10 drink Wd'er
and eat vegetable foods only there Woud W.
not only fcwc~ diseases. but the period OF ne
would bc longer Believing thus, II Is NOT haru
for him 10 find plenty of arguments III 'ic
statistics of disease and death. No dle'' o'
course ins,ircS either health or lnlihor'aH'!' :
and II is conceivable that If the world became
converted 10 vegetarianism. advocates OF meat
eating would find most convincing arguments
for tbcir view I'm the various reports OF vital
statistics.
But IN spite Of what figures seem TO prove
,.o do not bclicvc that the race is dying. The
cbonood conditions Of modern life nave eN-
nosod Il to new possibilities Of disease ana
death. But there will come TO II also III Uhe
. lorcor ethical knowledge and a better com
nr,horeon of ;hc laws of health that will more
than balance these evils