totally discordant to the former idea. In view of the emigration of whole nations, of which history furnishes us so many examples, and of the succession of races on the same soil, which geological researches have lately demonstrated, I willingly leave him to the enjoyment of the belief that God created each race where He intended it to remain. I cannot doubt that soil and climate exert a powerful influence in moulding the physical and moral traits of man, sufficient, in the course of ages, to produce all the varicties existing upon the globe, and that man possesses a remarkable adaptability to the changing conditions which he may have to encounter. Thus, races undergo change of type, in the lapse of ages, when transplanted to other climes; and we may regard the change of the British type, in this country, as rather an adaptation to our climate, than as a mark of degeneracy. The figure has lost its portliness and increased its stature, thus approaching the type found among the aboriginal inhabitants of the country, and undoubtedly adapting itself to the changed conditions of life. In a drier atmosphere, with a wider range of temperature, it would be impossible to preserve the same florid complexion which belongs to the dwellers in an insular, cool climate. But our anthropologist's statements are not consistent with each other. He insists that race is every thing that it cannot change type-and that the Eu ropean races, which have colonized North America, are incapable of amalgamating, or of undergoing material changes; and he says again: "Independently of naturalized foreigners, native Americans differ among themselves almost as much as they do, collectively, from the British colonist. The three great sections of North, South, and West, are so distinct in appearance, habits, manners, social and political views, as almost to form three separate nationalities." Whence arise these distinctions? From difference of race? This cannot be; and the fact, if it really exist, must be attributed to varying conditions of life. His statement that "the white man cannot labor in the South, until the climate has been abolished," has been abundantly disproved since the late war, and was before believed by none who were willing to make a fair experiment. To illustrate his inconsistency further, contrast the following quotations, taken from consecutive pages: "I agree with Mr. Hepworth Dixon, that the white and red men have mutually influenced one another to a much greater extent than is commonly supposed. On the frontiers of civilization, in the far West, although they are generally employed in shooting one another, the two races seem to have adopted each other's vices." "Independently of the black, red, and yellow types, represented by Negroes, Indians, and Chinese, the white type is represented by various European races, which show no tendency to amalgamate and lose their respective racial characteristics." Strange that white and red races should show a tendency to assimilate, when there is such an antagonism between the differ ent white races! Strange that "the antipathy and antagonism of races" do not effectually prevent their voluntary expatriation, to meet as colonists, on the common soil of a land so uncongenial to their physical wants, that they are doomed to a natural extermination, unless constantly recruited! But let Mr. Allan tell us since when European races refused to amalga mate, and look a little into the ethnology of the British race, as now found in England and the Scotch Lowlands. How many elements will he find thoroughly amalgamated in rather more than fourteen centuries? The Celtic, the Saxon, the Danish, the Norman-French, not one of which has needed constant recruits from the parent stock. Let him answer whether the pure Celtic of Wales is more vigorous than the amalgamated English stock, which has been colonizing the fairest portions of the world for the last four hundred years. He doubts the real and thorough acclimatization of a race to a different and distant climate. The Jews are acclimatized over the whole civilized globe. The decay of conquering nations is not to be attributed to want of thorough acclimatization, but want of healthy stimulus by contact with other nations and races. An excessive stimulus would lead, through wars and conquest, either to a fatal hypertrophy, as in the cases of the Assyrian, Persian, Grecian, and Roman empires, or the atrophy, which so many states and races have suffered in wars with more powerful neighbors. England, France, and Switzerland, may be mentioned as examples of healthy stimulus, from encounters which they were able to withstand, and which have conduced to their perpetuity. The remote islands of the Pacific are examples of a want of stimulus, and of decay from premature old age. this It is proper to grant that the European races, in country, are yet far from a thorough acclimatization, and this process, together with that of their amalgamation into a homogeneous people, may require the lapse of centuries. But, in the grand purposes of the Creator, "a thousand years are as a day," and the work has scarcely begun. I am ready to admit that the average of human life is less in this country than in Great Britain, but this is attributable to causes not growing out of physical degeneracy, which are found to operate in all newly-settled countries. Among these may be mentioned the whole train of miasmat ic disorders, and non-observance of the hygienic measures enforced in old and well-regulated communities. It hardly need be remarked that the average of life has been greatly extended in Great Britain, during the last century and a half, by the disappearance of the former, and the observance of the latter. The acclimatization of animals, and especially of man, able to fortify himself against hardships, cannot be more difficult than that of plants. It is a fact, within the observation of people now living, that the sugar-cane and the orange-tree have become acclima tized to portions of Louisiana, where the winter tem perature formerly destroyed them, and their range of growth is steadily advancing northward. At the same time it is to be observed that the oranges of Louisiana, so far from showing signs of degeneracy, are unsurpassed for excellence. The alleged degeneracy of the Spanish race in America will not be denied, but it does not exceed the decay of the national character at home, and, therefore, need not be attributed to transplantation. Problems in anthropology involve many factors, whose values are liable to great mutations. We possess no calculus comprehensive enough to trace all their differentiations, and can only approximate by making an average of examples already wrought, of which history gives us a view, reflected from the past. If such an induction could lead to the conclusions of Mr. Allan, upon the future of America, he has failed to adduce his evidence, and his propositions must be decided as not proven, even without opposing argument. But, by the same process of reasoning, the contrary can easily be established. ART. X.—Notes of a Case of Infantile Paralysis of long standing. By C. G. STANLEY, Student of Medi cine. MISS B., aged eighteen, had always been a healthy infant until she reached the age of twenty months. One night about this period she was put to bed in her usual health; her sleep was somewhat disturbed, and the cause attributed to her having been fed upon lobster. Nothing of any importance occurred during the night, but in the morning it was discovered that she was unable to move any part of her body except her head. The family physician was at once sent for, consultation was desired, and the diagnosis of paralysis due to a spinal affection was arrived at. Sea-bathing, tonics, and change of air were advised and faithfully carried out for a period of four months. No change being noticed at the end of that time, treatment was discontinued. Shortly after, a slight improvement was noticed in the muscles of the upper extremities, gradually extending downward. The bladder and rectum had at no time been involved. The paralysis lingered for a considerable period in the right leg, after the complete restoration of other parts; but this limb slowly regained power, with the exception of the tarsal flexors, the extensors of the toes, and the peroneal muscles, which remained permanently paralyzed. She had |