The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1911-09-08
THE HUMAN SKIN.
Changes In Its Hues That Have
Come With the Ages.
COLOR A MATTER OF CLIMATE.
Mans Original Shade 10 Believed to
Have Been Brownish Yollow--Ths
Same Foress That Made Men White,
Black and Yellow Still Operating.

Black and yellow Still Operating.
Mans original color and the cause OF
the changes in that color to the various
hues that mark the skins of the differ
ent races have long been a study
among men OF science
The theory Of Professor Lionel Lyde,
an English scientist, Is that, whatever
the color Of primitive man In the be-
ginning, the conditions OF life during
the glacial period were such that uni
formity OF results must have been pro
duced Nearly every anthropologist Is
ready to admit now common origin
for all mankind Where man origi-
mated IS not known-yery likely In
southern Asia, possibly in Africa. Ger,
tainly not In Europe they say. His
original color Is supposed to have been
n sort of brownish yellow not Ike any
of the eolors OF mankind today, and
scientists call him, for the sake OF
calling him something, Condwana.
He lived In southern ATTITUDES. This,
they think, is certain Then came
migrations, and then, Professor l-yde
believes, the variations OF color began
Some turned white, some turned black,
some brown and some yellow, all ac-
cording to the climate In which they
found themselves.
Climate influences worked directly
and indirectly. In the tropics the skin
and the lntestlnes perform work which
In temperate zones Is thrown on the
lungs. So when man found himself In
cooler lands the increased activity of
the lungs, together with the lesscned
light and heat, favored tightening OF
the skin. When he found himself In
hotter climates the increased activity
of the liver and the presence or great
light favored dark skin.
The oil theories of race are pretty
well discarded, for men of the same
race, under differing conditions, would
come to be outwardly very different.
Thus even In Afrlea, which everybody
thinks OF as the land of blacks, black
is not at all the universal color. In
the Sudan, where there are great light
and little humidity and no shade, the
men are very black. Elsewhere In
Africa, where there are forest, more
humidity and less light, though about
equal heat, the color Is brown and even
yellow
As primitive man went on his way
over the globe he adapted himself to
the conditions he found. Professor
Lyde thinks that IL Is light and not
heat which IL injurious. There are
In the tropics dangerous X-like rays
which must be stopped. and they were
stopped by the darkening of the skin.
Since lack of moisture also tends to
give tawny color, ii Is found that In
rainy countries the people are fairer
than In places where there are long
and frequent droughts.
The race, then, that found n home In
moderate and damp climates turned
whittier and whittier. 1t Is only In such
climates that white skins can endure.
and presumably, If the present white
race was turned into different part
of the world for many hundreds OF
years, the whteness of skin would
gradually be lost. Perhaps, since the
white man is spreading over the world
today, 1t would be fair TO say 1t Will,
In such cases, be lost, the wilderness
being retained only In climates that
have the conditions under which the
race was first beached.
Intensity OF light and little humidity
made black. Trade winds and little
humidity gave the tinge of brown to
the subtropical Mediterranean people.
Then comes yellow. which Professor
Lyde puts down as the result of vast
desiccating grass lands" In intemper-
ate attitudes.
The yellow man is the product of
the grass lands, with lack of humidity
and seasonal extremes of temperature.
The color man exposed to such con-
dltions would naturally take would be
one which conserves heat nearly as
we'll as white, but which also protects
from light, for which combination vel.
low was the best, or red, The nor
NAL color of these folk of the grass
lands would be changed by special
local conditions, such as the presence
of mountains or proximity TO the sea
The mountaineers of Asia and the
maritime Mongolians are lighter In
color than their brothers of the inland
plains.
To Professor I.yde, therefore. skin
color is entirely matter of climate
1t is well established phenomenon
now because the different portions OF
the human race lived segregated for
thousands OF years in special areas.
but the same forces that made men
white and black and yellow are oper-
ating today, slowly. but surely. Men
who change their dwelling places will
still. after hundreds of generations,
change also their skins as they did In
the epoch of the first migratlons.-Ne
York Times