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The Man‐Made World
III. HEALTH AND BEAUTY.
NOTE—The word “Androcentric” we owe to Prof. Lester F. Ward.
In his book, “Pure Sociology,” Chap. 14, he describes the
Androcentric Theory of life, hitherto universally accepted; and introduces his own “Gyneacocentric Theory.” All who are interested
in the deeper scientific aspects of this question are urged to read that chapter. Prof. Ward‘s theory is to my mind the most important that
has been offered the world since the Theory of Evolution; and without exception the most important that has ever been put forward concerning women.
Among the many paradoxes which we find in human life is our low
average standard of health and beauty, compared with our power and knowledge. All creatures suffer from conflict with the elements; from enemies without and within—the prowling devourers of the forest, and “the terror that walketh in darkness” and attacks the body from inside, in hidden millions.
Among wild animals generally, there is a certain standard of excellence; if you shoot a bear or a bird, it is a fair sample of the species; you do not say, “O what an ugly one!” or “This must have
been an invalid!”
Where we have domesticated any animal, and interfered with its natural habits, illness has followed; the dog is said to have the most diseases second to man; the horse comes next; but the wild ones put us to shame by their superior health and the beauty that belongs to right development.
In our long ages of blind infancy we assume that sickness was a visitation frown the gods; some still believe this, holding it to be a special prerogative of divinity to afflict us in this way. We speak of
“the ills that flesh is heir to” as if the inheritance was entailed and inalienable. Only of late years, after much study and long struggle with this old belief which made us submit to sickness as a blow from the hand of God, we are beginning to learn something of the many
causes of our many diseases, and how to remove some of them.
It is still true, however, that almost every one of us is to some degree abnormal; the features asymmetrical, the vision defective, the digestion unreliable, the nervous system erratic—we are but a job lot even in what we call “good health”; and are subject to a burden of 17
The Man‐Made World
pain and premature death that would make life hideous if it were not so ridiculously unnecessary.
As to beauty—we do not think of expecting it save in the rarely exceptional case. Look at the faces—the figures—in any crowd you meet; compare the average man or the average woman with the normal type of human beauty as given us in picture and statue; and
consider if there is not some general cause for so general a condition of ugliness.
Moreover, leaving our defective bodies concealed by garments; what
are those garments, as conducive to health and beauty? Is the practical ugliness of our men‘s attire, and the impractical absurdity of our women‘s, any contribution to human beauty? Look at our houses—are they beautiful? Even the houses of the rich?
We do not even know that we ought to live in a world of overflowing loveliness; and that our contribution to it should be the loveliest of all. We are so sodden in the dull ugliness of our interiors, so used to calling a tame weary low‐toned color scheme “good taste,” that only children dare frankly yearn for Beauty—and they are speedily educated out of it.
The reasons specially given for our low standards of health and beauty are ignorance, poverty, and the evil effects of special trades.
The Man with the Hoe becomes brother to the ox because of over-much hoeing; the housepainter is lead‐poisoned because of his painting; books have been written to show the injurious influence of nearly all our industries upon workers.
These causes are sound as far as they go; but do not cover the whole ground.
The farmer may be muscle‐bound and stooping from his labor; but that does not account for his dyspepsia or his rheumatism.
Then we allege poverty as covering all. Poverty does cover a good deal. But when we find even a half‐fed savage better developed than a well paid cashier; and a poor peasant woman a more vigorous mother than the idle wife of a rich man, poverty is not enough.
Then we say ignorance explains it. But there are most learned professors who are ugly and asthmathic; there are even doctors who