Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1912-10-25
EYED PEOPLE
Interesting Report Of Scientists
of the Smithsonian Institution.
PHENOMENA OF ALBlNISM.
Found In Animals, Birds and vegeta-
bIes as Well as In Humans--6eIief
Used to Prevail That Albinos Ex-
planned Origin of Different Races.

| bles as Well as In Humans-Beicf
Used to Prevail That Abinos Ex-
planned Origin of Different Races.
| One of the most curious freaks OF
nature is the albino. Albinism occurs
not only among human beings. but In
cludes everything that has life. While
1t Is most noticeable among human be.
ings and has been studied by scientists
with particular reference to the human
Family, yet 1t also occurs among other
animals and birds Of all kinds. Most
unusual OF all, however, and perhaps
the most striking example outside Of
the human family Is the occurrence of
albinism in the vegetable kingdom,
says William l.. Altdorfer In the Gin
cinnai Enquirer.
Most peculiar Of all the albinos In the
COLI elton Of the Smithsonian institu-
ton at Washington is tiny kangaroo
mouse not quite as big as your thumb.
This little mouse Is as white as snow,
with beautiful pink eyes. There are
many other striking examples Of al
binism. One is the red throated loon.
The proper color of this animal Is q
dark gray, but the loon on exhibition
is a pure white bird with pink eyes.
Then there are raccoon, musk rat,
gray parrot and deer, but most
unusual Of all is pure white owl.
The owl Is usually black or dark col
ored, but the one at the Smithsonian
Is an exceptionally bizarre specimen
Of the bird family with pure white
feathers and the usual pink eyes.
In another case are shown the phe-
nomena OF mechanism, the opposite Of
albinism-meaning turning black. 1t
is an excess instead of an absence OF
color pigment, as In the case of albin-
ism. Mechanism, scientists claim, causes
the darker skinned race of man, like
the Malays, Cinnamon and the Ethio-
plan, or black man.
DIR. Walter Hough as one Of Uncle
Sans scientists devoted many years
of study to albinoS and albiniSm.
"Anthropologists of early days." says
DR.. Hough, considered that albinos
explained the Origin of the different
races Of man, not knowing at that
time that it was really disease. or
course they evolved many theories of
the origin Of the white race, aud the
first line Of study they undertook was
the color Of the skin, basing their
studies on the Bible.
These men, of course, took up this
work at very early date, away back
in the dawn of life. The first thing
they did was to try to learn the cause
of the coloring OF the skin, the effect
! of light and heat and other matters af-
fecting man In his immediate surround
ings. They knew nothing at that time
of anatomy or Of the human body,
which has proved in later years to DO
of the greatest value in determining
the race Of mankind.
"You can readily see why albinism
should profoundly affect the imagina-
ton of the early anthropologists. prin-
| cipally because of the unusual appear
ance of the albino, In the midst OF
people of normal type. For instance,
you know how startling 1t would APP
pear. to you If you should see white
crow among bunch Of black crows.
1T is peculiar, but true. that early
scientists thought the albinos were q
return of the Ethiopian to the white
man and that the first man and wo-
man--Adam and Eve--were black peo-
| hot +ha h,rr
race was returning to the original
type Of man, sometimes known as alta
vism. These men had seen albinos In
Central America, where they were
called moon eyes, and on the Kongo,
where they were known as 'dondos.'
In Ceylon, India, they were called be
das,' while in Java and other places
they also had peculiar names.
"Buffon, one Of the great scientists
of early times. who interested himself
in the study of man. said the 'bedas' or
albinos of Ceylon, who lived like saw
ages in the woods. were the descend
ants of shipwrecked Europeans. About
this time Depaw. another great scien"
fist, said that no one had ev"r seen SO
|
same place.
"Albinism is n disease. Melplghl,
the great Italian anatomist. discovered
that a certain layer Of skin produced
celebration. In complete albinism the
skin is uncolored. 1t is Of an ashy
wilderness and has a challzy or death"
| like appearance. On all albinos the
surface capillary vessels-that Is. the
very small veins that run close under
the skin-can be seen very distinctly.
| The eyes are most peculiar. In the
complete albino they are Of clear,
distinct pink, which is due to the alb
sence Of color. There is no color at all
in the eye as in the normal human
being. and that part Of the iris which
is usually brown, black or gray Is
missing. In place of this color moth
ing but the blood which runs through
the body shows up in the iris Of an
albino.
Another striking popularity Of abb