The San Francisco call., 1910-12-26
SENSES PRESERVED
With CIVILIZATION
EyesIght and Hearing of Euro
peans Equal to That of
Savage Peoples

How often does one hear it stated
that the development Of civilization has
robbed the race of many of the keen
senses which are popularity ascribed to
tne savage. He, it is said, has extraor-
oinary vision. hearing and sense Of
smell powers whose keenness has.
through ages of disuse, long since dis
appeared among modern men. WHY.
there are some people who would tell
US that physical deterioration has been
so marked even during recent years.
particularly in towns and large centers
pt Industry generally, that we do not
compare favorably with the people of
the early Victorian era.
Why. glasses were almost unknown
an my youth. compared with their com
mon use by all classes at the present
Day says paterfamilias. in instancing
the case Of national visage. But in
making this assertion he apparently
quite overlooks the fact that the spread
OF science and knowledge. has made US
more alive TO the dangers of neglect
Ing defective sight, which is being
much better preserved by artificial
means than formerly. In fact. If a
scientist investigated the matter he
would probably find instead of a de-
terioration OF the nations sight a
marked tendency toward improvement,
says the New Haven Palladium.
The steppe dwelling Kalmuks, also
renowned for distant vision, being able
10 detect the dust of a herd of cattle at
4 greater
tnan a European could with a telescope,
nave also been examined. and their
aeuity was indeed found to be very
Nigh averaging considerably above
mat OF Europeans, yet only one or two
d out OF the 40 individuals tested ex-
ceeded the European record. while the
great majority fell within the range of
good European eyes. Much the same
result has been obtained from Arabs.
Egyptians. and quite q variety of peo-
pies Among the most reliable results
are those Of Rivers on a wholly un-
selected Papuan population. He found
no very exceptional individual among
10 tested, yet the average was some
what better than that Of Europeans.
We may perhaps conclude that eye
sight Is function which varies some
what in efficiency with difference of
race, though with much overlapping.
NO doubt, however, the results as they
stand need some qualification. On the
other hand, inclusion Of individuals
with myopia and similar defects would
lower the average of Europeans con-
siderably more than that of most other
races, so that the actual conditions Of
eyesight differ more than the results
show On the other hand, it would
not be far TO include nearsighted in
divioUals. If what we wish to discover
IS native differences between peoples;
Tor the different prevalence of myopia
is certainly due to the differing uses
10 which the eye is put
Rivers has made an observation in
connection with the test for eyesight
which is Of much Importance. He
found that when the letter or character
used in his test, the position of which
had 70 be recognized at the greatest
possible distance, was removed from
him beyond the distance at which he
felt that he could judge il, he could
stiu guess ii right nearly every time,
though without confidence BY such
guessing ones record in this test can
be bettered considerably; and careful
study enables one to see the slight
and blurred Indications of position
which form the basis Of guessing. Now
Il may be well that the occupants of
civilized life breed a habit of depend
ence on clear vision, whereas the life
OF those who must frequently recog-
nize objects at q great distance breeds
reliance on slight indications. and so
creates favorable attitude for the test
of eyesight.
When this possibility is taken in
connection with the deterioration OF
many European eyes from abuse. and
IN connection with the observed over
tapping OF all groups tested, the con-
clusion is not improbable that after
eli, the races are essentially equal in
keenness OF vision.
The hearing Of savages enjoys a repu-
tstion among travellers similar to that OF
their sight; but there can be little doubt
that the cause is the same In fact the
tests which have so far been made tend
10 show that the hearing of the whites
is superior. Such was the result Of
Myers on the Papuans and of Bruner in
his extensive series OF measurements
made at st. Lonis. Only Is per cent Of
127 Fflipinos tested did as wei as the
average whites; other groups made a
someWhst better showing, but all seemed
Inferior on the average to the whites
Despite the experimental results, there
is perhaps reason TO doubt that the
hearing OF the whites is essentially and
natively much superior TO that of other
races. Much the same can be said re-
garding keenness Of smell. On account
Of the high olfactory powers Of dogs
and some other lower animals, it has
often seemed natural and proper that
this sense should be highly developed
among savages; and fears of primitive
folk have been reported quite analogous
10 those already referred to under sight
and hearing No doubt here again spe-
cial interests and training are respon-
sible. since what few tests have been
made tend 10 show no higher faculty Of
smell among negroes and Papuans than
among Europeans.