Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1882-12-29
Vitality of the Jewish Race.

The members of the Jewish race have,
up 70 the present period of history, pre-
sented the most remarkable of all the vi
talitles, and those of them who are united
to the other races by ties of blood. though
not by any p 'ofession or religious indica-
ton. are hardly less privileged. In Eng
land and Wales we compute the number
of progressed Jews does not exceed $4,000,
some say not over 10000 but in addition
to these. if physiological readings be true.
and feel sure they are, there is an enor-
nous Christianized Jewish population
which, under exceedingly broad and Pro.
testant principles, accept the Christian
faith with tendency to Puritanic SIM
plcity, and all but Judaic method. and in
which the names, the beliefs, the tradi-
tions of the Jewish people, as rendered in
their sacred writings. find their repeti
tions. But 1 notice now in regard to
vitality, the most truly typical of the Sc
mite type-those. mainly, who profess and
call themselves Jews and it Is they, [
specially repeat. who shows an exceptional
| U6udClOy w 1ilOs ohOOl CilSuuoUduCCo
which at first sight would seem to cause
the utmost resistance to life. I have IN
vestigated this matter with the greatest
care, and not to trouble you by repeating
in detail what have already published, I
may state n brief terms that during all
ages of life, under all conditions of life to
which it has been subjected. under perse-
cutions the most painful, under suppress
sion of liberty The most Discriminate, un-
der residences in confined quarters Of
towns that were practically prisons, under
isolation the most pltiful, under contempts
the most cruel, the jewish family has
maintained vitality and health which is
at once model to the other families of
men among which it has been destined, or
1 should rather have said permitted, to
exist. The Jews are not free from proclivi-
ties TO disease of serious constitutional
kind. They are comparatively free from
consumption; they are very free from these
Zymotic diseases or petilences, smallpox,
measles. scarlet-fever, and such like, which
carry off so largely, the children of other
races; they are very free, that is to say.
they have been very free, from the diseases
which spring from poverty; and they are
very free from the diseases which spring
from idleness, ostentation, and luxury.
The particular hereditary disease from
which they suffer is cancer. According
to my experience they are more disposed
to that malady than either Saxon or Celt,
but is it not sufficiently widespread to
affect the general results Of the tenacious
life pertaining to them. For the benefits
they have received in the way of life and
health the Jewish family has been indebt
ed to wise sanitary laws and regulations
Sequeathed to them from of old, thrift and
provision for the morrow, to peacefulness
of heart, to domestic virtue, and most of
all to sobr1ety, 1t is hard to tell whether,
when set free from every political and re-
ligious oppression. left to make their own
course in open competition with other PEG
pie, receiving from their fathers the wealth
of their past, wealth of wisdom, wealth of
simple LONELINESS, wealth of riches, wealth
of vitality, they will reta in and bank the
same treasures or take out and squander
all. At the present time it is as if the
finger of prophecy was pointing to the
last-named fate.--Dr. Richardson II, Fro
2ier's Magazine.