Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1850-09-05
IdiOcy.

IdiOcy.
1t appears, by report recently made by DR..
Howe, of the Boston Blind Asylum that there
are fifteen hundred idiots IN the Stale of Massa-
chusells. The report regards idiocy as dis
eased excressence of society as an outward
sign Of an inward malady" II continues at
was hard 10 believe i, 10 be in the order of
Providence that the earth should always be
numbered with so many creatures in The human
shape, but without the light Of human reason.
IL seemed impiOus 10 attribute 10 the creator
any such glaring imperfecuon in handwork.-
Ii appeared 10 US certain that so many idiots
in every generation must be the consequence
OF the violation Of some natural laws; that
where there was so much suffering there must
have been sin" In searching for The cause.
they were found in the condition and habits of
the progenitors Of the suffeIers--,here is found
a degree Of physical deterioration, and of men,
Ial and moral darkness, which will hardly be-
credited. Four hundred and twenty idiots,
found in sevenIy-seven towns only. of Massa-
chuseus, were carefully examined 2 Is Of whom
were found TO be utons. and l02 were "gv-
en- TO self-abuse, in an uncomfortable and fright
ful degree"
Out Of four hundred and twenty cases Of
congenial idiocy, some information was OBJ
tanned respecting the condition of $50, in all Of
which, save only four, 1t was found that one or
the o'her, or both, of the Immediate progeniIors
of the idiot had in some way widely depsbed
from the normal conditions of health and yio-
lated the natural laws. They had either been
unhealthy or scrofulous, ,heredltarily predlsposed
TO affections Of the brain, causing occasional
insanity, or had inetrmarried with blood rela-
,ves, or had been guilty of sensual excesses
which impair the constitution. The report is
fully impressed with the opinion lha, The ha-
birual use Of alcoholic drinks does great deal
TO bring families into that low and feeble con-
dlion Of body alluded TO as prolific source Of
idiocy. Out of three hundred and fifiy-nine
idiots examined, ninety-nine were found TO be
the children OF NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. and ha-
bua sols. We quote from the report-t
should be useful lesson 10 your moderate
drinker:
"The effect Of The habitual use Of alcohol,
even in moderate quantities, seen to be 10 lynn
phatize The whole bodily organization that is
TO diminish The proportion of the body-ihat
which gives enduring strength, and 10 make
the lymphatic or the waiery particles 10 abound
in all the tissues. The children of persons, SO
! lymphatized, are apt to be Of the scrofulous
character, above described and their childen
again are very apt TO be feeble in body, and
weak in mind. Idiots, fools and simple,Ons
are common among the progeny of such per-
sons, either in The frs, or second generaioh-
Thus, directly and indirectly, alcohol is pro-
ductive Of a great proportion of the idiocy
which now burdens the commonwealth If,
moreover, one considers how many children
of Incorporate parents there are, who without
being idiots, are deficient in bodily and mental
energy, and predisposed by their very organi-
zalon, 10 have cravings for alcoholic siimu-
| ants, il will be seen what an immense burden
the drinkers of one generation throw upon The
succeeding one. Many parent, by habiIual
stimulus applied 10 his own nervous system,
renders his child infinitely more liable 10 be
made drunkard, by the ordinary temptations
of life, than The child of temperate man
would be, even if living. from his youth upward,
within the extraordinary temptation Of bar
ROOM"
Another fruitful source of idiocy was traced
to the " nlermirage Of relatives" Out Of three
hundred and fifiy-nine cases, in which the pa
renlage was asceriained, seventeen were known
10 be the children of parents nearly related by
blood; " most OF the parents were IntemPerate
or scrofullous-- --some " ere both The one and The
other: of course there were other causes TO in-
crease chances Of infrm offspring, besides that
Of the inIermarrage. There were born unto
them"-lhe seventeen families, The heads of
which were blood relalives-"ntnety fve chill
dren, of whom forty-four were donc, twelve
others were scrofulous and puny, one was deaf,
and one was a If!-In some cases. all the
children were idioclic, or very scro(uloOs and
puny. In one family Of eight chilcren, f'e
were idiots"
What frighllul tale this tells against the
intermarriage Of relatives.
Important Law.