The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1889-04-20
SHOULD COUSINS WE'D.
Prominent Physicians Declare Inter-Mar-
riage to be Unwise.

Prominent Physicians Declare Inter-Ma
riago TO be UnwIse.
The widespread prejudice against
consanguineous unions Is exceedingly
stubborn, but certain writers of to-day,
including Haeckel, have endeavored to
show that it rests upon no well-au-
thenticated facts. They claim that the
misshapeu and imperfect offspring Of
such marriage is due not to the union
of like blood, but of like physical and
mental tendencies. Consanguinity it
self, they say, plays no particular role
in the union of individuals of the same
stock, but 1t increases in the descend
ants the tendencies common to the two
progenitors. If these tendencies be
good they will be intensified in the
child, and hence the union will be adj
vantageous. If they be bad re-en-
forcement of unfavorable tendencies
should be suppressed by the avoidance
of such marriages.
Yet there are on record numerous
cases of blindness, deafness and de-
formity in the children of nearly re-
lated parents. Sterility sometimes re-
suits, or if children are born they may
be puny, feeble and spiritless or with a
tendency to idiocy. A prominent ply
sician has compiled statistics that show
that out of 14,257 idiots nearly IS per
cent, were children of cousins. The
percentage of deaf and dumb children
born of parents related by blood is only
a trille less, and out of 1878 blind per-
sons he has found that per cent can
trace their defect to consanguineous
union. Insane mania is much less
frequent resultant of such unions, as
out of nearly $4,000 cases examined he
finds less than per cent. due to that
cause. Among the inmates of blind
asylum several years ago were five
children of one marriage of cousins,
all born sightless.
Epilepsy, tuberculosis and consump.
ton are effects not uncommon, and in.
stances are on record OF the propoga.
ton of almost every known form OF
disease through this medium. Nor is
it unusual for two or more forms oi
disease to be allied in one child. In
late years a girl was admitted to the
Pennsylvania Institution for Deaf an6
Dumb, who, in addition to being stone
deaf and speechless, was horribly de
formed. Inquiry elected the fact thai
the father and mother were cousins.
A physician who had made a close
study of the subject said that he hat
often observed in the cases of Offspring
of consanguineous unions where actua
disease was absent tendency to awl1
wardness and dullness. Children werC
apt to be understood, with fat, stubby
short-fngered hands and ill-developet
limbs. Though children with fine
forms and brilliant intellects often fol
lowed these marriages he believed they
were exceptional, and that the mar
riage of cousins was fraught will
great danger. Their offspring was lia
BILE to be endowed with mental, phys
ical and moral deformity.
1.-THE best evidence of the evil effect
of the intermarriage of kim" said
leading gynecologist, sis to be had b.
a glance ut the royal families of Eu
rope. One can not doubt that there i
tendency to deterioration when h.
considers the unfortunate house O
Hapsburg and remembers that tn
King of Bavaria is in mad house
that the present Emperor of German.
is victim tC tuberculosis, and that hi
fathers disease was due in part to tn
poison of the intermixed blood of tn,
Hohenzollerns. Sickly and imbecil,
Princes have for centuries bore witnes
to the danger that lies in the union o
cousins. A careful observer of animal
will note the same tendency to degen
eracy. The lion and the lioness a
at the Zoo have repeatedly borne cleft
tongued cubs. Not one Of their numer
Gus progeny have been exempt from
this defect, and feel confident that th'
parent lions are brother and sister, ant
that in that fact lies the cause of tn
invariably imperfect offspring"
DIR. Chaplin, superintendent of Kirk
brides Insane Asylum, believes tha
actual insanity very rarely follows a
an effect of marriage of near kin
Idiocy and imbecility, he says, fire
quently result, and the patient may b.
afflicted with maniacal paroXysms, bu
he has never known case OF actua
insanity that was directly traceable Il
this cause.-Philadelphia Record.
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