New-York tribune., 1901-10-27
INATIONALTYPES CHANGING
LONG NOSED ENGLISHMEN. BLOND
FRENCHMEN AND BEARDED
JAPANESE.
From Chambers's Journal

i
| To one who believes in the evolution of racial
type by means of natural selection an answer IN
| the affirmative presents no dliilcuitles; but 20
| others-the student of comparative ethnOlOSy,
| the acute archeologist, the thoughtful traveller
this important matter is as firmly settled as
| that the Chnaman has SlantnS eyes, the Tartar
high cheekbones and the Spaniard an olive COM
plexion. Max Nordau has discussed the question
| as regards the French and Germans. Professor
Mantegazza regards the Italians and pr.
Hamilton and others concerning the actual
blending Of the multiform racial features of the
American population into a single type.
| The subject has. perhaps, in this country as
yet hardly received the attention it's extreme
| interest and importance deserve Yet every
Engiishman who is at all familiar with the
ancient physiognomy and the physical aspect
| and proportions of his race must be aware that
| the new EnSlshman Of the twentieth century
is not quite the same animal the Eng
lshman Of the Tudor period. The loyal subject
| of Edward VI fiaxen haired if he were a yeo-
man and black haired in towns would hardly
recognize as his posterity and cOmpatriots the
| equally loyal subject of Edward VII Indeed il
is not certain that there has not been special
and distinctive type for each century, and this,
If 1T is really the case. would. of course. not pre-
clude the recurrence of a former type at inter
walls. Among the factors which have undoubt-
edly affected the physique hair and complexion
or the nineteenth century EnSlishman has been
the natutinal tub-the widespread prevalence OF
| the bathing habit. 1t seems strange when
reflect that in the eighteenth century the morn
ing bath. now regarded as so essential TO Eng
Nshmen OF all classes, was hardly ever indulged
| In, and the cold plunge within doors a thing
practically unknown. The physiological effects
of frequent bathing are well known among
them being heightened color. sharper features
that is. a rawboned appearance-and (as DR..
Andrew Wilson has lately pointed out) a thin
ming OF the hair. As to the latter il is common
knowledge that in the fifteenth century curly
hair was the rule in England, but whether the
cnange to lankness is to be ascribed TO the wigs
| of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries or
whether the wigs themselves We're resorted to
as a means of Disgusting the less hirSute lux
uriance. it would be difficult TO determine salts
| factOriy
I Another factor in the creation of the modern
! type among ourselves is the habit of padrSfrian
exercise. and also our greater indulgence in out
door sports and games Both of these hava
| probably had greater influence on the female
sex In this kingdom. the difference in the
physique and stature of the Englishwoman now
and at the beginning of the Victorian era being
/ really astonishing. one facial tendency. which
has been remarked by Professor NantegaZZa as
Characteristic of the English of both sexes dur
iIiS the iaSt century deserves to be noted, il i
/ the greater length of nose. accompanied by move
SttaIShtness. AqUiline noses. We are told. which
"ti' tNC@tdihSN common in the eighteenth
century. are becoming in Great Britain.
] Looking abroad, shown the F'renChman
gradually growing lighter of hair and complex
ion. owing to the greater fecundity of the Nor
man and the constant infusion of Swiss and
A1sa;ian blood The habit of drinking b,
preference To wine is also said To be influe
the physique and facial tint of the Gallo
There can be no question of slight increa
stature and a more erect carriage amOnE
( males, this resulting from the same cause "
! has transformed the whole of Germ
, from round shoudsred. shambling men, wit.
proluSI"h OF adipoSc tissue. into grim, sim
autornatonS-n namely. the severity of unive
| milltary dlSClpUue. But. with the Germ
| they have TO thank the army for a decrease.
stead of an increase, of stature the height of ne
men. as shown by official reports. having gradu-
ally diminished since 1851. Whether the KaiS-
er's subjects will regard this loss as sufficiently
atoned for by the greater size of the German
| chin. which is becoming prominent charac-
! terstic. unknown to the Prussians under Fred
| erlck the Great, Is a matter which must
leave TO the subjects of William III determine.
The Russian face is undergoing a pronounced
change, owing To new blood. and different food.
habits and conditions of life But perhaps the
most extraordinary meta mOrphOsis of all
ing place under our eyes among nations
as widely separated in origin and history as it
is possible for any civilized countries to be
America and Japan. The American physog-
nomy is as completely marked as that of any
race under the sun that has. s Anthony Troll
| lope remarked, bred in and in for centuries
Yet. as tae same traveller pointed out the
American owns more mixed blood than anv
other known His chief stock is English
and with this are mingled the bloods of Ireland
Holland. France. Germany. Scandinavia Italy
| and Slavonc Austria.
"All this has been done within a few years so
that the American may be said to have no claim
to any national type of face. Nevertheless no
man has a type of face clearly national as
the American The lantern Jaws the thin
1.-THE body. the dry face. the thick hair and thin
| NpSr the intelligent eyes the voice not alto
Sether harsh. though sharp and nasal-aiI these
traits are acknowledged all the Continent
or Europe Yet perhaps TrollOpe was mistaken
IN attrlbutinS the formation of this type to
hot air pipes and dollar worship" although not
altogether wrong in supposing the American
countenance to be modified by his special as