The Opelousas patriot. [volume] (Opelousas, Parish of St. Landry, La.) 1855-1863, 1856-02-16

On the sixth day Of the session Of the Ameri-
con Association for the advancement Of Science,
held recently in Providence remarkable
paper was read in the department 81 National
History, by the Rev. Charles Brook, Of Bos-
ton. Its title was. :. Remarks on the Inter
marriage Of Blood Relations, and the Trans
mission Of peculiar Traits" l'& l5l'ls7
1t is believed that the laws Of nature forbid
| the marriage of near blood relations with each
other, because the children from such alliances
are frequently found to be in Il partly abnormal
state Of body and mind. There seems to be an
arrest of normal development. They often lack
that entire and symmetrical equilibrium Of the
| physical, intellectual and moral powers which
constitutes the whole man. Yet II is true that
the children Of parents who were not related
do hot present normal development. How
dccidee By observation, simply II you
have experience and observation, count up tho
children known to have been born from first
cousins, and compare them with the offspring Of
Others who have not married near blood rela-
| tions, and / think, adds Rev. Mr.. Brooks,
that any man will be convinced there is a
deep and durable difference between them"
The learned speaker then presented u faithful
list Of examples of the pernicious fruits Of in
termarriages in families. 80
IN. P, of w., Massachusetts,, q
fine looking and intelligent man, of good health,
married his first cousin, q woman likewise
blessed with liberal supply Of excellent
health, and of q cheering spirit They were
happy. But children We're born, and one
was clump-footed, another had but one eye and
oil of them were very weak in intellect, smalin
person, and have heads shaped like 6atiron,
point turned downward" Z, ,e.-I,st,
i In ipbu rs nF poHo hoyn
much brains, and are as homey as sin.
Reason--they intermarry. -.
| AT Marthas Vineyard they have particu-
larly bad time. The island is sea-girt. The
youths cannot go q courting elsewhere, because
Of the rolling pillows, and so they content
themselves with Martha in the Vineyard. The
island in consequence is, according TO our
author, full Of Illustrations Their minds,
says Mr.. Brooks, mildly, are moderate : their
health is feeble ''S' 3.' ~@sa
The man whom employed in that island"
says MIR. Brooks, " married bis first cousin, and
their parents were second cousins. Their first
three children were born without eyes, and
lived but few hours. A very particularly
unfortunate case" 4lA tst@t' z y
"m Virginia" says Mr.. b., where blood
relations have married in order to keep tho
family property entire, there ere unusual num-
bers Of imbecle minds who can not manage
the property that has been thus foolishly
secured" .s,4 ..s..r
j From fredericksburg, Virginia, we have
these facts: sg
"A certain family of wealth and respecta-
bility have intermarried for many generations,
until there cannot be found in three or four Of
thema sound man or woman. One has sore
eyes, another scrolula, third is idiotic, o
fourth blind, q fifth bandy-leggcd, o sixth with
! head about the size Of a turnip with not one
Of the number exempt from some physical or
mental defect. Yet they persovcre in inter-
marrying, although these monuments are con-
stantly before them" st
1t cannot be, said he, that all these results
} are mere chance. Is it notmore probable that
they nrc proofs of the violation Of natural
laws? The Professor arrived at the following
} conclusions Q- sFO.HsT M
81. That the laws fused and msused) which
improve or deteriorate the breeds in lower ami
mails, IRE the same laws of nature which i'm
prove or deteriorate the human race.
"2. That an unusual number Of inibecile
children, born from parents who are first
> cousins, are often found in the same family.
"3 That few, il any children, born OF
parents who are first cousins, exceed their
parents in bodily strength on mental power,
. while children who are born of parents not
related are frequently found to do so."