WHY ALBINOS' EYES ARE PINK.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 437, 7 February 1912, Page 7

WHY ALBINOS' EYES ARE PINK.

SOME QUEER FACTS ABOUT THE HUMAN RACE.

We talk of a smile of defiance. There is really no such thing. Suet a so-called smile is nothing more, nor less than a snarl, a survival of the way our savage ancestors had of showing their teeth in order tc strike fear into the hearts of theii enemies.

The real smile of pleasure begins with slightly opening the mouth, and is, of course, traceable to the joy ol those same savage forefathers ol ours at the prospect of food.

Has it ever struck yea to inqui'rf why man is, as a rule, right-handed ? Some suppose that it is because children are taught to use theii right hands in preference to theii left ; but the argument won't hole water, for savage children also are right-handed. Right-handedness is caused by the location of the heart. It is on the left side, and it and the great arteries being constantly filled with blood, the result is to throw the centre of gravity to the left side. This being the case, the right arm is much more free than the left, and injury to the heart from violent exercise is less likely from the use of the right arm than of the left. Albinism is much more common in some of the lower animals than in man. White rabbits, white cats, white mice, and white ferrets are all albinos. The far-famed white elephant of Siam is another specimen of the same curious condition. Albinism is due to absolute lack of colouring matter in the hair, eyes, and other structures, and the reason why the eyes of an albino appear to be pink is simply because the eyeball being colourless and transparent permits the blood circulating at the back of it to be plainly visible. It is notl generally known that albinism is hereditary in man as in other animals. In Circassia are a number ol families nearly every! member o! which have for generations back been pure Albinos. Here is a question which may puzzle many people. Why do corns "shoot" and become painful on the approach of damp weather ? The answer is not far to s;ek. Like a good many other odd traits, this is one which we owe to our ancestors. They went barefoot and, like the Australian blackfellows of to-day, their feet were covered with thick callous skin which grew rapidly ; but, naturally, much more rapidly during the rainy season than in dry weather. Thus the throbbing pain which we feel to-day in our corns is due to the weatherv se cells in our toes, which have no yet grown accustomed to boots, making hasty provision against the coming of rain. Most people have noticed that there is a slight tendency for the hands and feet, to turn cold after a hearty meal. This is another question of which the explanation is quite simple. Digestion requires the presence of blood about the stomach in order to supply the necessary digestive juices. Such concentration of t\\c blood-flow in the body deprives the extremities of their natural share of blood-flow, and they being constantly cooled by evaporation become chilly. In similar fashion, severe brain work often results in. the head becoming hot at the expense of the hands and feet.

Some of the problems concerning the human body are less easy to comprehend. Why, for instance, is the hair so subject to and influenced by every passion of the human mind r : Hair does literally bristle with fright. Who has not felt that unpleasant pricking sensation over the surface of the skull under the influence of terror ? Curly hair often becomes quite straight under the influence of neuralgia or violent, headache, r.nd in illness it changes colour perceptibly, becoming dull or bright according to its owner's state of health. The proportions of the human frame form in themselves a t:i interesting study. For instance, as most people are aware, the length of the outstretched arms from finger-tip tc finger-tip usually equals the height. A. curious fact is that there seems to be some connection between the circumference of the chest and the width of the finger nails. The broader the chest, the larger as a rule are the nails.--" Scraps,"