The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-03-26

free from over-indulgence and from the
excess of abstinence.
But what in the long run often proves
more fatal than, for instance, too much
or too little food is that terrible strain
on the nervous system due to the want
of leisure, the want of freedom from
anxiety caused by your overweight
civilization and the acuteness of the
struggle for existence The Boer mind
Is not torn and harassed by the ambi-
tious hope of wealth or the constant
dread of bankruptcy, of poverty, debt,
and starvation. His is an easy-going
life. He feels quite safe as to the NOR
rows existence. His land IS not over
populated, but under-populated. There
is plenty of room for him and his fam
lily, however numerous. He has no
fear of the bailiff or of the debtors
court He does not tremble at the
thought that he may be discharged
from his employment, or that the for
nation of some big Trust or syndicate
may ruin his business. He has but
little experience Of the luxuries and the
eXtravagant modes of living prevalent
in our Western civilization. He knows
| ilOllllHS Sltlltl VI Oul SOIulu pONtilyj VI
our overcrowding, and of all the insa-
lubrious and degrading conditions bred
of misery that accompany and put to
shame our wealth. 1t would not be
possible to find a Submerged tenth"
among the Beers. Therefore the Beers
are free from those nerve disorders that
so largely contribute to destroy the
health of the populations in the great
commercial centres.
In so far as they are of Dutch de-
scent the Beers should be small. The
French blood which is mingled with
that of the Dutch would not tend very
considerably to increase the height of
the Boer. The French, though taller
than the Dutch, are, not so tall as the
English. Yet the Beers of to-day are
taller stronger, and possess more |
powerful physique than the English. |
is quite a common occurrence to meet
a Boer six feet six inches in height. |
Indeed, it has been said that the aver |
age height of the Boer is six feet two |
inches. This is undoubtedly a gross
exaggeration, but that such an eXag |
geration is possible tends to show how |
striking. is the impression made by the
tall stature of the Beers. All travellers |
bears witness to their magnificent |
physique, especially those who have
been among the Real Beers, that is to
say, those who live in the rural dis
tricts we'll away from the railway
lines. The Boer who has taken to town
life and acquired town vices may de-
generate like other people, but this is
not of frequent occurrence. Even those
who do live in towns often preserve
their primitive and simple methods of
existence. President Kruger himself
is a good example. He still keeps up
the pastoral habit of going to bed at
eight o'clock in the evening, and he is
up by five o'clock in the morning.
But apart from the flesh and bone,
the big, stronge frames, and the hard
muscles developed by the healthy con-
slant outdoor exercise, the Beers have
practical freedom from the diseases due
to alcoholism, and vice. They are not
total abstainers, but they are remark
ably sober, and the drunkenness is rare |
among them. Equally important from
the health point of view Is the fact
that the Boer is essentially a moral
man. Indeed, even We're it otherwise,
his isolated life in far-off farms offers
no opportunities for contracting the
diseases connected with vice. On the
other hand, how often are British sol
diers punished for drunkenness and in
vaided through venerea disease. Not |
only is almost every Boer physically fit
to take the field and fight for his coun-
try, but he is stronger, healthier, and
biggerman than even those who have
been selected by medical examination
as fit to serve in the British army IT ,
the entire male population of our coun
tryS without any sort of selection from |
the age of fourteen to sixty years were
made to stand forth they would present I
a sorry spectacle as compared with a
similar crowd of Beers Let any one
for instance, take his stand in a crowd