Searchlights on Health-The Science of Eugenics Part 67

DISPOSITION AND CHARACTER BY THE WALK.

1. AWKWARD.--Those whose motions are awkward yet easy, possess much efficiency and positiveness of character, yet lack polish; and just in proportion as they become refined in mind will their movements be correspondingly improved. A short and quick step indicates a brisk and active but rather contracted mind, whereas those who take long steps generally have long heads; yet if the step is slow, they will make comparatively little progress, while those whose step is long and quick will accomplish proportionately much, and pa.s.s most of their compet.i.tors on the highway of life.

2. A DRAGGING STEP.--Those who sluff or drag their heels, drag and drawl in everything; while those who walk with a springing, bouncing step, abound in mental snap and spring. Those whose walk is mincing, affected, and artificial, rarely, if ever, accomplish much; whereas those who walk carelessly, that is, naturally, are just what they appear to be, and put on nothing for outside show.

3. THE DIFFERENT MODES OF WALKING.--In short, every individual has his own peculiar mode of moving, which exactly accords with his mental character; so that, as far as you can see such modes, you can decipher such outlines of character.

THE DISPOSITION AND CHARACTER BY LAUGHING.

1. LAUGHTER EXPRESSIVE OF CHARACTER.--Laughter is very expressive of character. Those who laugh very heartily have much cordiality and whole-souledness of character, except that those who laugh heartily at trifles have much feeling, yet little sense. Those whose giggles are rapid but light, have much intensity of feeling, yet lack power; whereas those who combine rapidity with force in laughing, combine them in character.

2. VULGAR LAUGH.--Vulgar persons always laugh vulgarly, and refined persons show refinement in their laugh. Those who ha, ha right out, unreservedly, have no cunning, and are open-hearted in everything; while those who suppress laughter, and try to control their countenances in it, are more or less secretive. Those who laugh with their mouths closed are non-committal; while those who throw it wide open are unguarded and unequivocal in character.

3. SUPPRESSED LAUGHTER.--Those who, suppressing laughter for a while, burst forth volcano-like, have strong characteristics, but are well-governed, yet violent when they give way to their feelings. Then there is the intellectual laugh, the love laugh, the horse laugh, the philoprogenitive laugh, the friendly laugh, and many other kinds of laugh, each indicative of corresponding mental developments.

DISPOSITION AND CHARACTER BY THE MODE OF SHAKING HANDS.

THEIR EXPRESSION OF CHARACTER.--Thus, those who give a tame and loose hand, and shake lightly, have a cold, if not heartless and selfish disposition, rarely sacrificing much for others, are probably conservatives, and lack warmth and soul. But those who grasp firmly, and shake heartily, have a corresponding whole-souledness of character, are hospitable, and will sacrifice business to friends; while those who bow low when they shake hands, add deference to friendship, and are easily led, for good or bad, by friends.

[Ill.u.s.tration: AN EASY-GOING DISPOSITION.]

THE DISPOSITION AND CHARACTER BY THE MOUTH AND EYES.

1. DIFFERENT FORMS OF MOUTHS.--Every mouth differs from every other, and indicates a coincident character. Large mouths express a corresponding quant.i.ty of mentality, while small ones indicate a lesser amount. A coa.r.s.ely-formed mouth indicates power, while one finely-formed indicates exquisite susceptibilities. Hence small, delicately formed mouths indicate only common minds, with very fine feelings and much perfection of character.

2. CHARACTERISTICS.--Whenever the muscles about the mouth are distinct, the character is correspondingly positive, and the reverse.

Those who open their mouths wide and frequently, thereby evince an open soul, while closed mouths, unless to hide deformed teeth, are proportionately secretive.

3. EYES.--Those who keep their eyes half shut are peek-a-boos and eaves-droppers.

4. EXPRESSIONS OF THE EYE.--The mere expression of the eye conveys precise ideas of the existing and predominant states of the mentality and physiology. As long as the const.i.tution remains unimpaired, the eye is clear and bright, but becomes languid and soulless in proportion as the brain has been enfeebled. Wild, erratic persons have a half-crazed expression of eye, while calmness, benignancy, intelligence, purity, sweetness, love, lasciviousness, anger, and all the other mental affections, express themselves quite as distinctly by the eye as voice, or any other mode.

6. COLOR OF THE EYES.--Some inherit fineness from one parent, and coa.r.s.eness from the other, while the color of the eye generally corresponds with that of the skin, and expresses character. Light eyes indicate warmth of feeling, and dark eyes power.

6. GARMENTS.--Those, who keep their coats b.u.t.toned up, fancy high-necked and closed dresses, etc., are equally non-communicative, but those who like open, free, flowing garments, are equally open-hearted and communicative.

THE DISPOSITION AND CHARACTER BY THE COLOR OF THE HAIR.

1. DIFFERENT COLORS.--Coa.r.s.eness and fineness of texture in nature indicate coa.r.s.e and fine-grained feelings and characters, and since black signifies power, and red ardor, therefore coa.r.s.e black hair and skin signify great power of character of some kind, along with considerable tendency to the sensual; yet fine black hair and skin indicate strength of character, along with purity and goodness.

2. COa.r.s.e HAIR.--Coa.r.s.e black hair and skin, and coa.r.s.e red hair and whiskers, indicate powerful animal pa.s.sions, together with corresponding strength of character; while fine or light, or auburn hair indicates quick susceptibilities, together with refinement and good taste.

3. FINE HAIR.--Fine dark or brown hair indicates the combination of exquisite susceptibilities with great strength of character, while auburn hair, with a florid countenance, indicates the highest order of sentiment and intensity of feeling, along with corresponding purity of character, combined with the highest capacities for enjoyment and suffering.

4. CURLY HAIR.--Curly hair or beard indicates a crisp, excitable, and variable disposition, and much diversity of character--now blowing hot, now cold--along with intense love and hate, gushing, glowing emotions, brilliancy, and variety of talent. So look out for ringlets; they betoken April weather--treat them gently, lovingly, and you will have the brightest, clearest sunshine, and the sweetest balmiest breezes.

5. STRAIGHT HAIR.--Straight, even, smooth, and glossy hair indicate strength, harmony, and evenness of character, and hearty, whole-souled affections, as well as a clear head and superior talents; while straight, stiff, black hair and beard indicate a coa.r.s.e, strong, rigid, straight-forward character.

6. ABUNDANCE OF HAIR.--Abundance of hair and beard signifies virility and a great amount of character; while a thin beard signifies sterility and a thinly settled upper story, with rooms to let, so that the beard is very significant of character.

7. FIERY RED HAIR indicates a quick and fiery disposition. Persons with such hair generally have intense feelings--love and hate intensely--yet treat them kindly, and you have the warmest friends, but ruffle them, and you raise a hurricane on short notice. This is doubly true of auburn curls. It takes but little kindness, however, to produce a calm and render them as fair as a Summer morning. Red-headed people in general are not given to hold a grudge. They are generally of a very forgiving disposition.

SECRETIVE DISPOSITIONS.

1. A man that naturally wears his hat upon the top or back of the head is frank and outspoken; will easily confide and have many confidential friends, and is less liable to keep a secret. He will never do you any harm.

2. If a man wears his hat well down on the forehead, shading the eyes more or less, will always keep his own counsel. He will not confide a secret, and if criminally inclined will be a very dangerous character.

3. If a lady naturally inclines to high-necked dresses and collars, she will keep her secrets to herself if she has any. In courtship or love she is an uncertainty, as she will not reveal sentiments of her heart. The secretive girl, however, usually makes a good housekeeper and rarely gets mixed into neighborhood difficulties. As a wife she will not be the most affectionate, nor will she trouble her husband with many of her trials or difficulties.

TWILIGHT SLEEP.

Some years ago two German Physicians, Kroenig and Grauss, of the University of Baden, startled the world by announcing: "Dammerschlaf"

or "Twilight Sleep," a treatment which rendered childbirth almost painless and free from dangerous complications. A woman's clinic was established at Freiburg where a combination of scopolamine and morphine was given. The muscular activity of the pelvic organs was not lessened, the length of labor was shortened, and instruments were rarely necessary.

ABBOTT'S H-M-C is another sedative composed of hyoseine, morphine, and cactoid. It is less dangerous than the other remedy, and accomplishes the same result, hence is greatly preferred.

THE UTMOST CAUTION is necessary in the administration of either of these drugs, and the most competent medical supervision is essential to their success.

CAUTIONS.--The patient should not be left a moment without medical supervision. The lying in chamber should be darkened, and kept as quiet as possible.

PAINLESS CHILDBIRTH.

WHY SHOULD A WOMAN SUFFER?--Childbirth is a natural function, as natural as eating, sleeping or walking. If the laws of nature are complied with it loses most, if not all, of its terrors. The facts show that Indian women, and those of other uncivilized races have children without experiencing pain, and with none of the so common modern complications.

WHAT IS THE REASON?--They live a natural, out of doors life, free from the evils and restrictions of present day civilization in dress and habits of life.

A NORMAL LIFE.--The expectant mother should therefore live a perfectly rational life, keeping the stomach and intestines especially healthy and active, and hence the general physical condition good. An abundance of fresh air, hearty exercise, and childbirth will pa.s.s over without any abnormal consequences.

THE DISEASES OF WOMEN.