The Texas Republican. [volume] (Marshall, Tex.) 1849-1869, 1858-06-05

NJ. .. Bemis, OF Kentucky. during the re-
cent session Of tho National Medical Asso.
citation, in Washington City, road an able
and interesting report on the Influence OF
marriages Of consequently upon otl'priug,
from which tho following extract is pub
lished by the Washington Union
Your reporter has made grea. efforts to
ascertain the proxima,e per centage Of the
deaf and dumb aud blind in our asylums,
who are the descendants Of blood intermar-
siagss. This effort has not been success
full from the difficulty principals Of such in>
situations find In gaining the requisite facts
Parents arc often sensitive on this score
and II Is a delicate matter for principals TO
attempt Investigations which the friends OF
the beneiiciaries suppose to be unauthorized
by tho regulations Of their various insli.u,
tons.
feel. however. that my researches give
me authority to say that over ten per cent.
OF the deaf and dumb, aud over FIVE per
cent of the blind, and near fifteen per cent.
Of the idiotic in our State institutions for
subjects Of those defects are ths offspring
Of kindred parents.
Aside from the facts which have gained
by corresponding with gentlemen who have
given close attention to these points. Gu.
rous but perfectly legitimate process OF
computation confirms mo 10 tbs opinion
that those estimates arc very nearly correct
The clss.es Z. d. T., T. G, give seven hun.
bred aud eighty seven marrsues OF cousins
two hundred aud forty six OF which have
given issue to deaf aud dumb, blind, diotic,
or insane children. Admitting the same
ratio to prevail .he Ono report which con-
tains one hundred and fity-seven marriages
Of cousins, followed by deaf and dumb,
blind, idiolic. or insane Offspring, would IN
dictate Toe existence OF three hundred and
thirty two other marriages Of cousins in the
same population not followed by such de-
fects. The counties (which furnish these one
hundred aud iliy~one msrrlagos, as above.
aud are supposed to comprise in their limits
three hundred aud thirty two unrepof,ed
marriages, making a total Of four hundred
and eighty three, contained in 1850 n pop,
ulalion OF one million five hundred and
twenty eigh, thousand two hundred and
thirty eight. II the same ratio be supposed
to exis, throughout the Onion. there would
be found to the twenty millions OF white
inhahilants sjx ihousoud three hundred and
twenty one marriages OF cousins, giving
birth TO three thousand nine hu dfed AMI
nine deaf and dnab, blind. idioilc, aud ia
sane children, distributed az follows:
Deaf aud Dumb, l,ll6
Hind Gas
ldioiic. 1884
Insane. 200
Then, IL the hgures Of tho last United
S stes CO sas still applied 10 our population,
there would now DO found in the Union
9.l36 deaf aud dumb. OF whom l,iiG
or 1913 per cent. are cni,ufen 81 cousins.
1913 blind. Of whom GAS. or Os.l p
cent. are children Of cousins.
l4.257 idio,Ic, or 81 Of whom IL 93
per cent. are children OF cousins.
l1972 insane. OF whom 300, or OF 3
per cent. are cnIetcp OF cousins
| invite the attention OF gentlemen OF
this association to Ibis calculation of prob
abilities, either to confnte OF confirm II by
any facts IN their possession.
very curss,y examination OF the tabies
of my report Will suffice to show that pari-
;arssu wiih the Increment oi the same blood
the sum OF defects Of oif,pfins is likewise
increased