The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1904-09-24
IN Re TIE GILT
Startling Theory that the People of
ireland Are
Deteriorating Rapidly in Mental
and Physical Vigor.

set forth at the recent conference of
the hierarchy Of NIaynooth. 1t was
stated by Right Rev. Dennis Kelly,
d. D., bishop Of Ross, in what may be
called an Indirect appeal to his coun-
try women to save their race. Some
of his statements were:
II am forced by the weight of evil
,dence to arrive at the gloomy conclu-
sion that the population of this coun-
try is deteriorating to an alarming
extent in physical and mental vigor
and energy, and fancy that anyone
who examines and thinks out the ques-
lions as l have been trying to do for
some years past, will arrive at the
same conclusion. Is then all gloom
and despair? Is the old Celtic stock
going to die of hamilton and will this
country be recolonized by Germans
and other foreigners? l do not think
so.
'Some of the most serious causes
of this deterioration are easily and
Immediately perceptible, and if they
are not prevented it will be our own
fault. The food of the people has I'M
dergone great change. Forty years
ago the staple articles of food Of the
population-I speak of the smaller
peasantry and working classes who
form the vast bulk Of our population
were milk, potatoes, oatmeal stira
bout, whole flour, bread, eggs, butter
and a little meat. Now, while this
diet may not have been the best con-
ceivable for full grown people, it was
the very best that could be found for
children and growing people. 1t con-
tanned all the necessary and most use
full elements for building up boys and
girls into strong, healthy, vigorous
men and women.
'Within the last thirty years the
milk, oatmeal, whole flour, and to Il
large extent, the potatoes, have been
replaced by tea and bakers white
while not the best for full grown peo-
pie. sustain their health and strength
very We'll. But Il diet consisting MAIN
ly of tea and white bread is absolutely
ruinous for children and growing peo-
pie. 1t does not contain the essential
clements to form blood, bone, brain,
Nat
is set the task of building of the body
of the child into that of the man or
woman without being supplied with
the necessary materials for the con-
struction. The result is Il jelly-built
house that tlmbles down at the first
shock.
"A week ago the superintendent of
the Cork asylum read for the commit
tee his annual report. in which he
said:
"'i'hc admissions show an increase
Of a1olcsccnt insanity: the present gen-
GRAFTON appears less capable of bat
tin" with the severe competition in
life. and at Il critical epoch in life
break down.
Another preventable cause of ply
steal and mental deterioration is this:
For thirty years under the results
system class hours in the national
schools were entirely too long. and for
some months before the examination
the children were detained from Q to
$3.50 in the morning until four, five
or even six o'clock in the evening fire.
Qupntly without food, and then in
rural Ireland had to walk home one,
two or three miles No more ingenious
procedure could be devised for the
physical and mental ruin of a popula-
ton. Things are somewhat better now
under the new system. but even still
there is much room for Improvement.
This country requires men of heal
thy and vigorous ntellects in sound
and strong bodies and it has no busi-
ness for the literary lunatics and
braincss wrecks that the national and
intermediate schools had been manu-
featuring by over study.
''To further emphasize the ilnpera-
tive necessity of making every Ell
deavor to preserve the lives and health
of our existing population, it is well
TO add that the birth rates in Ireland
and France for the last ten years are
the lowest in Europe. being twenty
three per 1000 inhabitants. In most
of the other countries the birth rate
runs from thirty to, fOrtythree per
1000. The marriage rate in Ireland is
distinctly the lowest in Europe, being
five per 600 annually. In most of the
other European countries the mar
riage rate was from seven to nine per
1000. However. we have still this
point in our favor that the number of
children i'll each family is the largest
in Europe. That encouraging circum-
stance arises mainly from the eXcep-
tional purity of morals of the Irish
people,
''The statement that the marriage
rate has fallen to five per 1000 does
not convey an adequate idea of the
situation. The question of population
is affected by the age at which women
marry quite as well as by the number
of marriages. Here the facts are still