Genre:

News-Commentary

Subjects:

Societies, Anthropology, Race, Gender, Class, Animal Behaviour, Cultural Geography

    Noting the visit of the regular Punch contributor, Smelfungus, to the meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, presents an extract from John Lubbock's address 'On the Social and Religious Condition of the Lower Races of Man' (a version of which was published as Lubbock 1871). Lubbock observes that women are treated like slaves among 'savages', especially 'Australian savages' who appear to have inflicted wounds on the heads of their women. The author questions whether any difference exists between 'the condition of women in the wilds of Australia and the wives in the London slums', since husbands in the former location use spears to inflict wounds, while those in London use their fists to give their spouses 'black eyes and bruises'.