Population : its law of increase / by Nathan Allen.

  • Nathan Allen
Date:
1870
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Population : its law of increase / by Nathan Allen. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    j e standard founded in nature and represented by art—a perfect stand- ard of beautiful figure for the eye, as well as of taste for the mind, when all its faculties are trained and cultivated to their highest degree. Accordingly whenever models of the best specimens of the race have been adduced, they have always exhibited this harmonious development of the human body. The Apollo Belvidere, the immor- tal work of the Greek chisel, and the Venus de Medicis, represent a well-balanced organization—all parts of the system in beautiful symmetry, the vital organs large, the limbs, the muscles, the bones, the blood-vessels, the nerves, distinct and clearly defined, nothing too strong, nothing too weak, nothing in excess, nothing deficient. But nothwithstanding such a standard or model of human organiza- tion is set before us, the reality is nowhere to be found. No nation, or race, or tribe, or people upon the globe can present perfect living examples, containing all the organs of the body in a pertectly healthy and well-balanced state. They can only offer approximations to this standard. . Now, the human constitution as represented by these tempera- ments has been constantly varying in every age and with all classes of people. The causes of these changes originate partly within the body, and partly from external agencies and influences. They often change materially, and sometimes radically, with the same individual between the cradle and the grave. Slight changes in the organization do not affect much the physical or mental character of an individual or people; but when a certain class of organs or one of these tem- peraments, becomes very predominent, it has a most marked and sometimes serious effect. We have dwelt somewhat at length upon the importance of this balance of organs, for it is the key not only to a sound constitution, perfect health and long life, but to the law of increase. Nearly all the diseases, pains and weaknesses of the body are but the result of deviations from this harmony, and an observance of the great laws of life and health looks towards restoring this balance. If, then, this balancing of all the organs in the body is found necessary for the greatest amount of health and longevity of the race, may it not become equally necessary for its increase? If only now and then a single individual in the community was found with a constitution badly diseased or imperfectly developed, its hereditary effects would ~ not be very perceptible; but when large numbers or a majority are found so constituted, not more than one or two generations can pos- sibly pass before such effects become marked and well known.
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