Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-11-10
THE SECRET OF RACIAL TRAITS
BY Frederic .. Haskin

Washington, Nov. 10. That the color
and texture Of a mans SKIN ana hair.
the form Of his features. his atntur
the proportion Of his limbs all ~ hIs
physical oharacteristics which mark
hm as belonging 10 a certain raee
and many Of the traits Of mind and
character which are associated with
those physical characteristics are reg
rlafed by half q dozen small glands
~ the body, Is one Of the most revo-
lutionary If the recent conclusions
Of science
This much OF the evidence for new
theory Is get forth By Arthur Keith.
British scientist, IN an article re-
Gently published by the smitbsonlaa
Institution In this country.
This uew idea is revolutionary IN
more ways Than one II upsets the old
DarwInian theory Of sexual selection
as the mechanism 81 race variation
a. completely as that. for the scientiat
upset the biblical notions on the sub
1ect. 1t shows that what we cali racial
characteristics are by 10 means con-
fined 20 persons Of the race with which
they are associated. In persons Of tho
pure Nordie strain there may b.
Mongolian or Negro physical charac-
teristics, and they are apt 10 be evi-
dence Of mental and emotional traits
such as are associated with thOse
races. In a word. here is a new key
TO the mystery Of human character
A fiat nose, a projecting lower jaw, ar
exceptional length Of leg or size oi
hand has a new significance for the
careful observer, when he knows that
these physical characteristics show thC
degree Of development Of certain oi
the controlling glands. and that these
glands have a definite effect on mina
as well as on body.
Control Of Growth.
Lastly, Il seems certain that in the
Course Of time knowledge Of the duct.
less glands viii give man a contro
over his own characteristics such as
he never had before. q would be a
rash prediction, Of the kind which
every const rvative scientist dcplores
TO say that race characteristics vii
be controlled, t h aadbatwr o
be controlled, that baby born black
~ j
fiat-faced Tartar. chil- be made t,
grow tall and have the salient features
Of a Nordic; but something Of ths
kind Is certainly in some degree pos.
sible. Scientists have already produced
marked changes in physical develop
hent by administering the extract O
| some of these glands. Thus a disease
known al Myxoedema has been fount
10 be due wholly to deficiency Of tht
thyroid gland. In II the skin become,
dry and often yellowNh and the haii
tends TO fall out. showing plainly
that the thyroid controls in some de
gree the development Of hair and skin
/ which are race characteristics. Tn.
administration Of thyroid extract is Z
cure for this disease.
THE degre Of control viii camhn
The degree Of control which mar
n1ay attain over his own characters
tics by his knowledge o htfeu delscs
ties by his knowledge Of the ductles,
glands is limited chiefly by the factor
Of receptivitv. Thus Il has been quit,
definitely proved that the suprarena
glands control pigmentation. And Il
/ has been found that the action Of am
Of the ductless glands may general,
/ be regulated by administering an ex
/ tract Of those glands taken from tht
I bodies OF animals Could then a blacE
/ or yellow child be made white by
treatment with suprare1aI extract be
gun in infancy? Probably only ex
/ Feriment would show and very iikaI'