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Show 372 .ACCLIMATION; OR, TJIE IKFLUENCE OF Calcutta, 1822 to 1886 ............. W Atcrn JTindus died .... } " Bengal II indus............ .. .............. 1 in 16 " Low Castcij ............... . Dombn.y, 181<: ....................... ~~~:!~~~:~~·::::::::·::::·::::::::::::::::::::::: ~ :: ~~:~ Pursccs.... .... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .... .. .... ... 1 " 40 Gur1daloupe, 181.1 to 1824 .......... Whites .......................................... 1 " 22 Free mon of color ........................... 1 " 85 Mnrtiniquo, 1825 ..................... Whites .......................................... 1 " 24 .Itree men of color................... ........ 1 " 28 ~:·ana~~~~~u8:i~, ·~·so2'.'. ·::::.~·::. ·:.·:::. ~~:::: ·. :·.::·.·.:·:·.'.'.'.'.'. '.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.:·::.::·::.:::·.'.'.'.'.'. ~ :: ;~ "'L'he compamtively low degree of mortulity among the free men of color, in tho West Indies ond tho Javr1nesc aud Parsecs, in countries where t-hose racos nro oillror tho original Jnhnbi,tnuts or IHwc become naturalized by an abode of Porno centuries, is romnrlmble, in tit procccli;rg table. It would scorn that such persons aro exempted, in a great m~asllt'o, from tho influence of morbific onuses, which destroy Europonns and other for·orgnors. '!'hat tl1c rate of mortality sltould be lower amotrg tlum tltar~ in the 8outhcrn part8 of Europe, is a fact which, in the preacnt stale of our knowledge, it is difficult to explain." 10 It appears, feom those tables, whi h are corroborated by all Aubsequont statistics of the above-named countries, as well as those of tl1o Uuitod tatos, that the whites show tho greatest average duration of lifo in temporat latitudes. Ru sia, it seems, gives a higher rate of mortality than any cold climate short of the Arctic (of which we want statistics); and why tho gt·oat difference of mortality in several of th so countries, differing apparently so little in climate, it is impossible, in tho present state of knowledge, to deterrnino. lt is, p1·obably, in many instances, attribntahlo to l1abits and social condition. In Russia, whore tho mortality is so great, it p rhaps may be xplainod by a combination of cansos-Auoh as tho cxtr me rigor of tho limato, tho oppressed condition of tl1e serfs, their bad habits and improvidence, and last, thongh not least, tho immigration and intorblonding of rae s foreign to tho ciimato. In Norway, the mortality is 1 ut down at 1 in 54, or ono-baJf that of Russia. 'l'ho Germanic races we know to be among the most hardy and robust of tho human family, by nature; and y t, as we Ace them (m si·Jy of tho poorer classes), in our outhem ~ tates, th y arc, in general, a squalid-lool ing people. I can assign no oth r cause than t.h i1· modo oflifc-with which, in ormany, I am not familiar. Th ir mode o(' slo ping, in Amoric:a, is very destructive of health: they live in confined rooms, and lie at night between two f ather-beds, oven in out· mild climate. It is impoAsiblo that any p oplo can be h althy with such customs; and if n. stri t scrutiny wore made into tho habits 16 "I'hy&icallli&tory of Mankind, I, pp. 110-17-18. CLIMATE AND DISEASES ON MAN • 373 of many of tho populations above-named, it is not improbable that much-Qf tho discr pancy in their vital statistics would be explained by condition and habits, skill of the medical pt'ofession, &cY When we come down to tho Roman tatos, tho mottality rises to 1 in 28, which is easily explained: thoro begin tho malarial climates: and we shall soc that tho mortality among wllitos incr asos onwards to the Tropics. But Prichard makes one fundamental mir;tak : he novot· stops to ask a question about tho adaptation of 1·ace to climate, but follows out his foregone conclusion, and goes on to show that, "in approaching tho equator, tho mortality in ·roas s, and the average dnmtion of lifo consequently climinisho. ;" illustrating it by the second table, bocrinning with Batavia. ITo is much embarrassed to account for tho "low doge o of mortality among tho free men of coloe in tho West Indios, tho Javanese n.nd Parsecs;" and for a reason why "tho rate of mortality should be lower among them, than in tho southern parts of Et11·opo"? Now, tho reason is obvious: tho blacks, ParsooA, and Javanese, arc all autoclttltona of hot climates, and w ro created to suit tho conditions in which they have boon placed, as well as all similar ones. 'l'ho Parsecs, like tho Jews, were .fi·om a warm latitude originally, and soon become acclimat cl; but tho Anglo-Saxon, and kindred races, never thrive and never will prospot· in such climates. Evon in Italy, the white races die, when a nogJ'O might Jive, or a coolie would flourish. 'l'ho same remarks apply to the Chinese, tho Mahomodans, Mognls, and Arabs, in tho last table: all arc from hot climates, a11d prosper in Calcutta. 'l'ho greater mortality among the Hindus, compared with tho Mus ulmans, is accounted for by tho :fitct. that llindus of Cal utta consist of families including a large proportion of infant lifo. 'l'ho same circumstance explains tho mortality of the Portuguese, who arc also a wretched and suffering class. 18 'l'ho J!'ronch (but lGO) arc inclu led with 3181 Portnguo o; and tl10 statement is worth nothing, so fat' as tho former arc concerned. "'l'ho n11tive troops on tho Dongnl ostnbli~hmont," snys C.n•TAIN IhNDl;naoN (Aaiatic Re8earches, vol. 20, p•nt I.), "nro pnrticular·ly hc111tlry, under ordintlry oir·cumstt~nccs. "Tt hns been fonnd, by n Jato inquiry, ombmcing 11 period of five yoars, thnt only one man is reported to have died per nunum, out of ovory lJUndrcd and thirty-ouo of tho actual n While writing this, I mcot with n vory intolligent Prussinn gontlomnn, who informs mo thnt thiR modo of sloopinp; botwoon fcnthor-beds is common througho.ut tho Germanic St1ttos, ns well ns in RusHin, among tho pcnsnntry, nnd middle nnd lower clnssos generally. Such mnnnor of ale ping prooludos tho possibility of J·ogulating tho covering to tempernturo. ~rho system must bo often grently nn,J injuriou~ly ovorllOI\tod, and rendered moro susooptiblo to tho int.cnso cold of their own clirn11tos, whon exposed. IB JonNSON & MARTIN's "liiflrmJce of Tropical Climate&," London, 1841, p. 50. |