The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1868-10-14
Useful Statistics.


The Editor Of the Catholic Mirror has
comeiacross copy of French journal, u
E4sperance, published in Nantes, in 1862,
that contains some curious and useful remarks
IN reference to an Essay on the Deaf and
Dumb, which had been submitted to the
Academy of Medicine, in that city, by Doctor
Boudin. The article in y Espera zee is from
the pen OF Doctor Latanneur, who remarks
that the evil consequences attributed to MARI
ages between persons related by consanguinity
nave very often, even among Catholics, been
the subject OF spirited discussion, aud it is in
this respect, adds the writer, that conscien-
tlous physicians, without any other motive
than the love Of truth, and free from every
sort OF prejudice, justify the Catholic Church,
In manner the most unqucstionable and
emphatic. Statistics Of the very deepest in
terest on this subject have already been pub
ilshed from official sources, these Of Doctor
Nllllet, OF Geneva, a Protestant physician, be-
ing emlnently so; but Doctor Boudin presents
his facts In so summarized and tabulated a
form, that mere inspection of his labor will
suffice to convince the most sceptical.
We give below an aggregated summary of
his lucid and well arranged tables:
Marriages in France, between persons rela-
ted by consanguinity, are about two per cent,
on the total number of marriages, while the
proportion Of persons born deaf and dumb,
the issue OF consanguineous marriages, to the
entire deaf and dumb of France is
At Lyons, Is per cent.
At Paris, % per cent.
At Bordeaux, 80 per cent
The proportion Of PERSONS born deaf and
dumb, increase according to the degree Of con-
sanguinity between the parents. five repre-
sent by the figure /, the risk of begetting a
child deaf and dumb from ap ordinary MARI
age, that risk is represented ~ 49,
Is Sin marriages between cousin germans ;
81 in marriages between uncles and nieces !;
70in marriages between nephews and aunts ;
In Berlin there are -
and one tenth deaf mute in every 10000
Catholics;
deaf mutes in every 10, 900 Christians, in
part Professionals
81 deaf mutes in every 10000 Jews;
In other words, the proportion of deaf mutes
increases with the sum Of facilities granted to
consanguineous marriages by the religious law.
A statistical table prepared in the state of
Iowa, in 1849, enters into the calculations Of
Doctor Boudin. From it he draws the follow
ing results -
and three-tenths deaf mutes in 10000
whites;
PIP deaf mutes in 10000 blacks;
That is to say that in the colored popula-
ton, among whom many circumstances con
spire to favor consanguineous and even in
cestuous unions, the proportion Of deaf m ates
is ninety one times greater than among the
whites, who come more Immediately under
the influence of the civil, moral and religious
law. eps
A deaf and dumb offspring is not always
the direct result of consanguineous marriage !;
sometimes manifests itself indirectly in cross
marriages, in which one Of the parties is the
issue ef consanguineous marriage.
Consanguineous parents are, under any cir
cumstances, liable to have deaf and dumb
issue; while, on the contrary, deaf and dumb
parents, not consangulneous, never bcget deaf
and dumb children, unless in very exception
al cases. The frequency Of deaf and dumb
births, the issue Of conslnguineous marriages,
is, therefore, radically independent Of all
hereditary influence.
| The number Of deaf mutes often increase
in very sensible manner, in Localities in which
| there exist natural obstacles to mixed marrl-
ages. Thus the proportion of deaf mutes in
France, namely six in every ten thousand is
raised -
In Corsica to IA in every 10000;
In upper Alps % in every 10000;
| In the Canton of Berne % in every 10000.
The number of deaf mutes in Europe may
| be set down at 250,00).
From all the facts collected by Doctor Bou-
din, he draws the conclusion that consangui-
neous alliances are highly favorable among
parents to sterility and abortion; among the
offsprings to albinism, mental alienation, idoit-
ism and other ipfrmities though we would
subjects. If we are not mistaken a report
submitted to the Legislature of Kentucky,
some years ago, would supply the desired sta
tistics, but We cannot lay our hands on it at
this moment We know enough however,
from the foregoing, as well as from other
| equally reliable data, to corroborate the opin-
ion Of Doctor Latancur, that the Catholic
4 Church is an Alma Mater, tender mother,
as solicitous for the temporal well being Of
her children as she is vigilant, Jealous and
untiring in promoting their spiritual interests.
--<
Unspeakable outrages upon women and
children have become SO common in nearly
every part Of the country, (but more cspeci.
ally in the South,) and attended by such
bloody brutality, that it would seem impossi-
BILE topropose any punishment too severe fol
the perpetrators. Yet, in the face Of guilt
surely established, and circumstances attend
ing it Of the most horrible character, two Of
these offenders have been respited from the
gallows by Governor Wells, of Virginia, after
they had made every preparation to die. We
do not wonder that the indignation of the
people is intense. If rape and. murder are
thus to be encouraged, it is not difficult te
foresee the terrible consequences. There viii
be deplorable increase Of a belief in the
justice Of Lynch law Washington Erpress
The WORKING PEoPLE-The Labor Con
oress which was recently held in New York