The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1904-11-04

What the Japanese have to look TO
for the Improvement in size of their
people is not. abatement of study or
more addiction to physical culture,
but to increase in the quality Of the
food Of the nation. 1t is only few
years since the excessive use of rice
in their navy led to an invasion of
| beriberi among their sailors. This is
a disease of the East Indies, especial
ly prevalent in Japan, an acute amaze
mic dropsy, amounting in debility to
complete nervous prostration. In con-
sequence of this occurrence, the Jap
anese were obliged to institute a die
tetic reform in their navy, by change
in the character Of it's ration; since
when we have heard nothing further
Of the prevalence of beriberi there.
But, dietetic military measures do
not rectify this evil in the interest of
the Japanese as a people.
If any one will acuuaint himself
with the quality of the Japanese army
ration of the present time. he will be
astonished to find that men can sub
sist on it under the conditions of men
tai and physical stress under which
the Japanese are now laboring. If we
Americans are, among many classes,
an overfed people, as there seems
very little reason to doubt. the Jap
anese are certainly an underfed one
in military naval and civil life. and
ought to follow dietetic western meth
DDS besides those which they have so
successfully adopted. They seem, for
one thing, according to the universal
testimony of foreigners, to be inordi-
nately fond of sweet confections and
kickshaws of all sorts. which depart
as far as possible from the kind of
nourishment which western people
generally consider hearty food.
Variety, besides abundance of food,
is essential to health and growth. The
more nearly man is omniverous, the
more nearly does he reach the best
adjustment of life. Abundance may
be- abused. but variety can never be.
The Japanese lack variety in their
food, and it is to be suspected the
ability for indulgence in abundance.
Things may be different, however.
with them in these respects when con-
tinental expansion leads to the ac-
quirement of new tastes in food and
ability to crafty them. The Japan
csc have had much to do in achieving
in so years what it has taken other
peoples hundreds to accomplish.
However relatively small in person
the Japanese people may be, they are
evidently endowed with an intelli-
gence and character worthy of their
great traditions. The world has rare
ly before seen these two elements
combined actuating masses so great
as theirs, never before, save under the
spur, like theirs, of an all pervading
and propulsive national idea. The
spectacle of the Roman standing on
a spear, amidst doubtful battle, whilst
his priest announced his lifes sacri-
fee by plunging alone into the enc
my's ranks, to appease gods adverse
to victory for his side, appealed to the
Roman mind, as it appeals to ours as
an exhibition of brave devotion. even
if too theatrical but it is not intrinsi-
cally equaled by that of the men. in
their GOODNESS of resolve, uninspired
by the heat of conflict. to whom the
Japanese Admiral, Kamimura, conf
IDENTIFY said, when they were depart
ing with fireships to block the channel
to Port Arthur, that they must die to
a man. but not before they had full
filed their mission.