Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-10-07
EVOLUTION IN MEN
CHANGES THAT ARE MAKING IN
THE NATIoNAL1TIEs.
The Britons Becoming Long-Nosed,
the Frenchmen More Blond, While
Japanese Raise Boards.
From Chambers Journal.

From Chambers Journal
Are circumstances Of blood or food. Of
early habit or subsequent education, Great
ing for the races of the world-the h1ghly
civilized races-a new physiognomy
To one who believes in the evolution Of
racial type by means Of natural selection
an answer in the affirmative presents no
difficulties; but to others-the students OF
comparative ethnology, the acute archeolo-
gist. tho thoughtful traveler-this important
matter Is as firmly settled as that the chi
nese has slanting eyes, the Tartar high
cheek bones and the Spaniard an olive com
plexlon, Max Nordau has discussed the
question as regards the French and Ger
mans, Professor Mantegazza as regards the
Italians and DR.. Hamilton and others con-
corning the actual blending of the multi
form racial features OF the American popu-
lation into a single type.
The subject has, perhaps. IN England as
vet hardly received the attention its ex-
treme interest and importance deserves
Yet every Englishman who Is at all familiar
with the ancient phySiognomy and the phys
ical aspect and proportions of his race must
be aware that the new Englishman OF the
twentieth century Is not quite the same ami
NAL as was the Englishman Of the Tudor
period.
Change in Englishmen.
haired If he were a yeoman. and black
haired in towns, would hardly recognize as
his posterity and compatriots the equally
loyal subjects Of Edward VII. Indeed. 1t is
not certain that there has been a special
and distinctive type for each century, and
this If 1t Is really the case, would. of course
not preclude the recurrence or FORMER
type at intervals Among the factors which
have undoubtedly affected the physique,
hair and complexion of the nineteenth CEN
tury Englishman has been the matutinal
tub-the widespread prevalence OF the bath
ing habit It seems strange when we re-
fleet that in the eighteenth century the
morning bath, now regarded as SO essential
to Englishmen Of all classes was hardly
ever INDUCED in, and the cold plunge Within
doors thing practically unknown.
The physiological effects Of frequent bath
ing are we'll known, among them being a
heightened color, sharper features-that Is, a
rawboned appearance-and, as DR.. Andrew
Wilson has lately pointed out, thinning OF
the hair. AS to the latter, 1t is common
knowledge that In the fifteenth century
curly hair was the rule in England but
whether the change to lankness is to be as
scribed to the wigs OF the seventeenth ana
eighteenth centuries, or whether the wigs
themselves were resorted to as a means Of
Disgusting the less hirsute luxuriance, 1t
would be difficult to determine satisfac-
torily.
Frenchmen Lighter.
Looking abroad, we are SHOWN the french
man gradually growing lighter Of hair and
complexion, owing to the greater fecundity
of the Norman and the constant infusion of
Swiss and Alsatian blood The habit Of
drinking beer in preference to wine Is also
said to be influencing the physique and ia
c1al tint of the Gallo race. There can be
no question of slight increase OF stature
and a more erect carriage among the males,
this resulting from the same cause which
has transformed the whole race Of Germans
from round shouldered shambling men, with
a profusion of adipose tissues, into grim,
sinewy Enthusiastically, the severity of
universal military discipline But with the
Germans they have to thank the army for a
decrease instead of an increase Of stature
the height Of the men, as shown by official
reports having gradually diminished since
1881 Whether the kaisers subjects will re-
gard this loss as sufficiently atoned for by
the greater size Of the German chin, which
is becoming prominent character, unknown
is matter which We must leave to the sub
jects of William II to determine.
The Russian face Is undergoing a pro-
nounced change, owing to new blood and
different food habits and conditions of life
But perhaps the most extraordinary meta
morphosis of all is taking place under our
eyes among two nations as widely separated
in origin and history as 1t is possible for
any civilized countries to be-Amerfca and
Japan. The American physiognomy is as
completely marked that of any race under
the sun that has, as Anthony Trollope re-
marked, "bred in and in for centuries" Yet,
as the same traveller pointed out the Ameri-
can owns more mixed blood than any other
race known. His chief stock is English, and
with this are mingled the bloods of ireland,
Holland, France. Germany, Scandinavia,
Italy and Slavonic Austria.