The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1867-07-03
CoNsANou1NEous MARR1AaEs.-The

4merican Eclectic Medical Reuiew, for
May, has an article, by the late Professor
W. Byre Powell, in which he controverts
the popular belief, that the marriage of re-
lations deteriorates the species by entailing
on progeny idiocy, insanity, and scrofula.
He says statistics on both sides of the At
lantic have failed to sustain the truth Of
this opinion. On the contrary, they show
that there are more of the evils complained
Of outside the circle fconsanguinity than
within it, showing that the cause Of the
evils named is more extensive then con-
sanguineal marriages DR.. Peterson, of
the Ohio Idiotic Asylum, informed the
Professor, that although he has been par
ticula1 in his inquiries as to the progenitors
of the idiots brought to the institution, yet
he has succeeded in finding but two per
cent, Of them to have had parents who
were blood relations. To account for
idiocy, insanity, &C., the Professor puts
forward the following theory:
Some fifteen years ago | was induced
to suspect that physiological incompati-
bility, obtained between the sexes in re-
gard to progeny, and the result has been
an entire conviction of the truth of my
suspicion. This incompatibility prevails
extensively in society, and is, | am conf
dent, the cause of all the idiocy, much Of
the insanity, all of the tubercular con.
sumption Of the lungs, and of mesenterio
glands of the abdomen, and ofall the scro-
fulous forms of disease Incidental to the
human race"
This theory he reduces to practical
rules, as follows:
L. When the parents have both the SAM
guine encephalic temperament, their chill
dren will die youngof dropsy of the brain,
or of tubercular inflammation Of its men,
brances
g When the parents are both bilious
encephalic, the children will be idiotfe.
s. When the parents are both of bilious,
encephalie, lympatic temperament, their
children, five out seven, will be dead born,
and the remainder will not live two
years.
4. When one. parent is bilious lympha-
tic and the other sanguine bilious ence-
phalic, the progeny will die young of tu-
bercular consumption.
s. IF one praent senguine encephalic
and the other bilious lympatie, the chill
dren will die young of tuberculous disease.
6. IF one parent is bilious encephalio
and the other sanguine encephalic biliuos
Emphatic, the children will become in-
sane.
A POINT WELL PUT-A Yankee his.
torian, Swinton, has been on visit to
Lexington, Va and is enlightening the
world with his opinions Of the living and
the dead. Not content with havin greturn-
ed eya for good, and with laying waste and
impoverishing our country they would now
coin money out of the horoism of our
dead, and the sentiments of our living
Cannot that gigantic yankee army, of a
million and half of men, combined with
such navy as the world never saw or
heard Of before who after four years Of
continued struggling, finally succeeded
in forcing handfulof halfnaked, half
starved Confederates to surrender, afford
themes, of sufficient interest to employ
yankee pens? If Mr. Swinton desires a
a theme, aronhy of a yankee pen, we
would suggest to him to visit the lower
Valley of Virginia and follow the footsteps
Of Sherman, through Georgia, Or those Of
Grant, from his entrance into Va. to thesur-
render Of Lee. From these scenes, we
doubt not, he will be able to gather p
dish admirably adapted to tho yankee pal
ate There is nothing, in the dead Jack
son or the living Lee, but must be abhor-
rent to yankee tastes, and, so far as the
South is concerned we, would rather our
children would learn the deeds and sep-
timcnts, Of cur dead and living heroes
through some other than yankee Chan
nels !-Lewisburg Times.
A curious case has just been tried in
the New Orleans courts. The children
of blind mendicant having been enticed
away by some other professional beggars,
the father brought suit, One of the wit
nesses testified, that nine out of ten who
are led about as blind, have good sound
eyes. The plan to make blind heggars is
this: The imposter secures a piece OF
blue stone, which, when dissolved in va
ter, will make fifteen men blind for four
days. The lids of the eyes are then BATH
ed with the liquid, which acts as an az
tringent, and the beggar cannot see until
the effect wears off. The lids are tightly
closed, and if they are forced open there
is a temporary film over the pupil which
would deceive any but tho most skilful
oculist. The judge sentenced the man,
who had enticed away the boy and the
mother Of the boy to six, months in the
work house, in default of a 81 900 bond
for good behavior. 1t is interesting to
know that these 81 900 bonds were given
by the beggars on the spot. One Of tho
defendants had 5000 on his person, and
a certificate of deposit for $4,000 more.
| The Louisville Courier states that
Good many citizens of Tennessee are a.
bandoning that State, and seeking refuge
in kentucky, on account OF the lntoiera-
BILE condition of aHsirs under Radical
rule It is thought that should Brown
low be reelected Tennessee will be deser,
ted by nearly all good citizens who can
get away An exodus of this kind has
alroa.ly taken place from Missouri. Do
not such facts speak Volumes against the
Radical party? The Courier adds -
None should vote the Radical ticket in
this State, who do not wish to see our