The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-09-03
SENSES OF THE CHINESE.
Undeveloped Faculties that Stand in
 the Way of Their Civilization.

OHQeVelOpeQ FdCullleS IlldL Stdnd 1n
 the Way of Their Civilization.
 Chinese civiliza ton has been affirmed
 and denied with equal vigor. There
 are those who see in the teaching of Confucius and the practice of his pu-
 pills, something higher than the more
 spiritual doctrine of Christ is ever like
 ly to produce; there are others who
 deny to China all right or title to civil
 iZation or culture Between these two
 extremes, truth lies.
 We propose to approach the question
 from the physical side. Thought. im- 1 agination, mental and moral considera-
 tions of every kind, are to be put aside
 and questions asked and answered by
 the body itself. What are it's tastes,
 it's likes and dislikes? How does it
 demean itself so far as it's senses are
 concerned? What is it's stage of de-
 velopment? Every individual man | has gone through in his own experi-
 ence the whole chapter of evolutionary
 history. What his delights were as
 child are not his delights to-day; he
 has outlived them. If we were to take
 him back to his childhood, or, better
 still, take note of his own little one, what do we find with regard to his sense of hearing for example? Is not
 the chief characteristic love of noise?
 Does he not revel in the boom of can
 non, the crackie of fireworks, the clash of cymbals and the roll of drums? And
 have we not at every celebration of
 the Chinese New Year proof that the native, so far as his auditory sensa- tions are concerned, has not got be- yond the stage of European childhood? Does he not shut himself up for hours at a stretch and hammer away at an orchestra composed entirely of gongs, cymbals and tom-toms? And would it not be utterly impossible for him to do anything of the kind had his evolu- ton reached the stage of the Europ- can?
 of a higher development of the eye than of the ear in China. Exquisite shades of silks, beautiful tints of por- celain, and an unerring eye for scenery witness the position of scores of Bud dhist temples-are proofs that the Chi nese race are advancing in the asthe- tic culture of the organ of sight. But having said Sd much, we have said all. Where in China Is the beauty preceiv- able in a European city? Where is there an attempt at street architecture? Why do so many hundreds of natives offend the eye with the inconformity of colors In their dress? Where Is European cleanliness to be found in house and home? There Is none. In of vision, as well as in hearing, the Chinese are behind the people of the West. Evil sights do | not offend them
 It Is hardly necessary to draw atten- | tion to their deficiency in the olfactory | nsations, except where disinfectants | are employed It is a curious fact | that the Chinese who will bear, appar- ! ently in happy unconsciousness, the | foulest exhalations of decaying animal | or vegetable matter, are sensitive to | the smell of carbollc acid, which, as | Il rule, they cordially dislike. Most | foreign residents in China find the pro- | lection of a handkerchief an absolute | necessity when passing even through | a village, but the native Is so imper- | vious to odors of the Eastern type as | to be quite ignorant that there is any | thing amlss. In the development of | the olfactory nerves. therefore, 1t would | seem that the native Is even behind the | of foreign children, who at 1 1uite an early age resent anything of- fensive in that respect
 Closely connected with smell Is taste, Here again, the Chinese cannot claim my very high standard There are some things they cook admirably, and some of their navors and sauces are of nigh order. But as every householder snows. these things of higher promise nave to be balanced against others, against viands which at times scent the whole neighborhood Traces of this ,tage remain among ourselves in the aste for high" game, Limburger heese, and the like.
 Coming lastly to the sense of feeling, we find a paradoxical state of affairs with natives whose sense of touch is IS nice as that of the most cultured European. and with others who Will ,ear the severest surgical operations without flinching. We know of an op- : ration for the removal of finger nail which was done without any help from nasthetlcs. Our surgeons could tell ndless stories of the like kind. At ne time this power to bear was put own to fortitude, but the more prob- ble explanation is less sensitive ner- ous organization. Is there anything to be learned from hese considerations? Do they not ex- lain much that has occurred within he past twelve months? Have not the 'hinese been acting merely in accord