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Show 354 ACCLIMATION; OR, TilE INFLUENCE OF position, habits, social condition, moral influences; in s~ort,. every combination of circumstances that can change the const1tut10n of man. The subject of Climate may be divided, and treated under two <listin t beads, viz.-Pltysical Climate and Medical Climate. The conBiclcration of the former appertains more particularly to the natmalist, whose province it is to treat of botanical and zoological geography, or the geographical distribution of animals and plants. Followed out in all its bearings, this department has been made, by Prichard and others, to include the whole physical history of man, and to explain all the diversities of tn)e seen in the human family. The latter, or Medical Climate, refers to climate in its cficcts on the body, whether in preventing, causing, or curing diseases; and it is this branch of the subject which will mainly engage our attention at present, although we shall be obliged incidentally to trench upon tho other. Oue limits forbid tho examination in detail, to any extent, of the effects of Physical Climate; but, fortunately, knowledge in this department has so greatly advanced of late years, as to permit us to pass oveL·, as well settled among naturalists, certain points which formerly consumed a largo share of time. It was long taught, for example, that typos were constantly changing and new ones forming, under the influence of existing causes; but we may now assume, without tho fear of contradiction from a naturalist, that, within historical times, no example can be adduced of the transformation of one typo of man into another, or of tho origination of a new type. Writers still living have boldly attributed to climate almost illimitable influence on man. Numerous citations have boon given, from credulous travellers, sl1owing examples of white men transformed by a tropical sun into negroes; of negroes blanched into Caucasians; of Jews changed into IIindoos, Africans, American Indians, and what not. In short, the whole human family has been derived (as well as all the animals of tho earth) from Noah's ark, which la,ndcd on Mount Ararat some 4000 years ago. Such crude ideas obstinately maintained their ground, in spite of science, until it was prov n beyond dispute, fi'Om tho venerable monuments of Egypt, that the races of men, of all colors, now seen n.l'Otmd the Mcditcrmncn.n, inhabited tho same countri s, with their present physical characteristics, fully 5000 years ago; that is, long before the birth of either Moses, Noah, or even Adam-were we to believe in tho chronology of Archbishop Usher. Nor did those v?rious races exist merely as scattered individun.ls in those early tlmcs, but as nations, warring with each other. Siucc these discove- CLIMATE AND DISEASES ON MAN. rics, we hoar, among thew ll informed, no more about the infl.uenue of existing climates in transforming raccs.2 No one who bas studied the natural hi story of man will be disposed to deny the great modifying influence of both physical and moral causes; but the questions arise as to the nature and extent of the changes produced. IIas any one typo been transformed into another? or has a now one originated since tho living types of the animal kingdom wore called into existence? That tho modifying in'fl.ucnce of climate is great, nay, quito as great, on man, as on many of the inferior animals, we posseRs the evidence around us every day in our cities. By way of illnstl'ation, the Jewish race might be cited, being the one most widely spread, the longest and most generally known. Whenever the word Jew is pronounced, a peculiar type is at once called up to the mind's eye; and wherever, in the four q nartcrs of tho globe, surrounded by other races, the descendants of Abraham arc oncountcrod, this typo at once stands out in bold relief. Iu each one of the synagogues of our large cities (in the Uuitcd States), may be seen congregated, eYcry Saturday, Israelites fi'om various nationalities of the earth. Nevertheless, although they differ notably in stature, fol'm, complexion, hair, shape and size of head, presenting in fact infinite vm·ieties, yet, when of pure Hebrew blood, they all revolve around a common type, which identifies their race. It should be remarked, in passing, that the J cwish, though comparatively a pure race, is notwithstanding much adulterated by inter-marriages with Gentiles during all ages, from tho time of Abraham to the present. It is truo that we often sec individuals worshipping at their shrines who arc wanting in tho tmc lincamcntH of the race; but this may be always explained by the admixtul'o of foreign blood, or through conversions of other types to Jndaism.·' It has boon clearly shown that tho Jewish type can be followed up through tho stream of time backward ii·om tho present day to the IV. Dynasty of Egypt (a period of more than 5000 years), where it tltands face to face with that of tho Egyptian ancl oth r races. 'J'hiH typo, too, is abundantly and bcautifnlly delineated amid the rnins of Nineveh and Babylon, back to ages coetaneous with the Hebrew monarchy.4 2 The unity po,rty llo,vo boen obliged, since these discoveries in Egypt, to o,bnndon nll scientific deductions, or reo,soning ft·om fo,cts, o,nd to ftLll bnck upon n miraculous transformation of one raco into many; which metamorphosis is supposed to hrwe occurred prior to the foundntion of the Egyptian, Chinese, nnd Hindoo empires. a Sec" :l'ypes of Afankind," Chnp. IV., "Physical History of the Jews." 'Ibid. Also, LAYARD's Ni11evell. |