DEGENERATION AMONGST LONDONERS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VII, Issue 1998, 23 May 1885, Page 2

DEGENERATION AMONGST LONDONERS.

,;Mr James Cantle, F.R.0.5., recently delivered an address at/the Parkes Museum of Hygiene, London, on "Degeneration, Amongst Londoners." The lecture first defined London, hygienically considered, to be where, there was no ozone; as a place where, from either the want of light or ozone, sunburning was unknown; and as a place where beneficial exercise—that is, exercise in, the fresh air—was impossible. A Londoner was one.whose father and mother were born, brought up, and lived, in. the arpa he had^defined, ; and who,' himself' or herself, was brought up and lived in London, and whose only notion of a relaxation was a run to the country, or seaside on a bank holiday. It was well nigh impossible tojfind a third, and absolutely impossible toj find'' a fourth, generation of pure Londoners—the .progeny-ceased, partly from moral and partly.' from physical decline and inability of continuance. The pure Londoner of the third feneration . which' he had been able, after much search and enquiry, to get, hold of, was a picture of physical decline, involving shortness of stature, narrow chest, deformity of jaws, miserable appearance (squint prevailing), scrofulous diseases, and small head. Pure Londoners were seldom to be found in workhouses, because they died young..' Thoy were able to "light porter," sell papers, and by some such shiftless means earn a livelihood. Entering at length into the effect of too little exercise—beneficial exeJcise—upon children, youths, adults, families, nations, and races, the lecturer foretold evil to the townsfolk of to-day if means were not taken to provide means of exercise in fresh air,