Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1906-01-25
Books, BOOkish
People and Things
ANOTHER OF THE MANY BOOKS
TO WARM COUNTRIES
Or. chas. e. Woodruffs
THE EFFECTS OF TROPICAL
LIGHT ON WHITE MEMS

The subject is discussed with thor.
oughness and independence which may
sometimes be taken for dogmatlsm, es-
pecially as regards questions which in
the scientific world are still sub ju-
dime. But there is copious reference
to contemporary authorities, and the
doctor evidently does not intend that
one Of his statements shall 20 unveri.
fed.
The first chapters are devoted to the
adjustment OF man to his environ
ment, variations Of type, sexual selec.
ton and 30 on.
Either waves, including infra.red,
Hertzeon, actinic, radium and X-rays,
are gone into quite thoroughly and
supply the needed technical informa.
ton demanded by what follows.
Under Action Of Ether Waves on
Protoplasm" the author touches on
nerve paralysis, sunstroke, retinal irri-
tation and color blindness. II does not
seem hard for DR.. Woodruff to prove
that nature had gradually augmented
her skins for the purpose Of prevent
ing them from the direct rays to which
/ they are most subject, and so In the
darker" countries we have the lighter
races--the blonde type-as an evolu.
/ ton.
/ To those who love the light 1t would
appear that the author places less val.
/ ne upon II than he should, for he ar.
CUES that darkness is rather favorable
to life than otherwise. and that the
tropics supply too much light for any
white man ever adequately to live in
I ala 4.
cave jewellers, miners, the poor in huts
and tenements, the residents of the far
north, and the foetus, cited in rather a
loose way.
II the poor Irish, who live in little
better than caves on the hillside, are
to be taken as physical types, we had
better give up all our modern ideas
about hygiene and revert to primitive
ness. II they and all those cited are
the best types of health that can be
produced, our modern advance is no
advance at all.
There are many meaty references
and suggestions which make the book
very readable and, in great measure,
atone for the special pleading
Major (Doctor) Woodruff who is a
surgeon in the United States Army,
has had some experience in the Phil.
ippines. He says of tuberculosis there
In spite of the excessive light of
the Philippines and the outdoor life,
tuberculosis is there frightfully preva.
lent among both natives and Ameri-
cans. In the latter II Is a very rapid
and fatal disease. requiring immediate
removal home. They seem to have lost
all resistance from the damage done
by the cline, so that the bacillus has
no check"
| No doubt nitrogen starvation and
exposure have done more harm than
the light.
Regarding the psychic effect OF light
red TO yellow, the author reviyes an
almost exploded theory
Is the following true OF the tropics?
I'VE know that obese people often lose
weight In the tropics and that obesity
Is very rare among the natives"
OF Leprosy.
I'm the case OF leprosy It seems safe
TO prophesy success from the use OF
short waves, and much glory awaits
him who discovers the proper wave
length and how to apply It without too
much injury to the tissues"
In chapter the author states that
primitive man" was brunette but was
conquered by blond emigrants" -
red-haired people who overran every.
thing, though OF "rufousness" the doc.
tor has not much good to say!
"Rufousness of the hair is often. II
not generally, accompanied by a type
OF nervous system for which we have
no description. II seems to be an
accompaniment OF type OF mind which
prevents greatness. 1t is not far cry
to see In 1t minor grade of abnormal
ity."
Perhaps the most interesting part Of
the book is in the chapters entitled
Results Of Migrations of Blonde
Races" Results of Migrations to Anne.
RIGA" and Rules for White Men in the
Tropics" Declaring that "acclimati.
Eation Is impossible" the doctor goes
on TO give some very good rules
Shade, warm baths, the daily siesta,
study, work, are dealt with: pitfalls
are placarded and advantages describ-
cd.
Though Hawaii Is in the tropics
Cand not near them, as Mr.. Bryan said
recently II does not fall under the
typically tropical climate, thanks be.
But 1t has enough of drawbacks to eX.
clude II from being termed paradise
Mosquitoes-well, let us avoid classi-
hcation. There are worse things than
mosquitoes which we are not organic.
Ing to exterminate.
The book Is beautifully bound In
SILK, Is printed on good paper in large
type and contains an index.
THE Effects Of Tropical Light on
White men. BY DR.. Chas. Il. Woodruff.
PIP 1858. Rebman Co., 10 w. 23rd ST.,
New York.
+ + +
In Tales" for January there is a fas.
cinating story by Jules Claretie, enti.
tied II and the Other" II deals with
double personality in an able way.
lTales Pub. Co., No. West doth ST.,
New York;
+ = q
National Finacee" for December
contains its regular Hawaiian Market