The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-09-06
Tho Jews from II Physiological Stand
point.

Tho Jews from II Physiological Stand
point.
NJ ANATOLE LEEoY-BEAUL1EU we'll known
rs an authority on Russia. has for some time
been devotlng himself to Il study OF the
anti-Semltic movement. In u paper recently
contributed to the Rerue des DeMr .Hoades
he considers the Jewish race from physi-
illogical and psychological viewpoints.
Some OF tho physiological statistics which
he has collected will be read with surprise
and interest.
N. LERoYBEACLIEU hegius with the aver
mcnt that the modern jew is the artificial
product OF the rnbbinical code and OF mcdir-
val legislation. In the flesh rs well as in the
spirit no bears traces of the outrages to
which his progenitor5 were subjected for
fifteen centuries. Evolved under conditions
of hardships 50 prolonged and So pronounced.
we could not expect 10 find the I-rnclitcs at
the present time q handsome race. They
have nevertheless, produced now and then
rare flowers Of beauty, as il to show what
air and sunlight might do with the old trunk
of JACOB. If the race, considered As a whole,
cannot be callei comrIy, neither can it
be said to DO ou;wardly robust. Beneath Il
frail aspect, however. is cuncealn'i an in
teuse vitality. From thiS point Of view NJ.
LEROY BEAULlEu conlales the typical Jew
to tho famous actresses uf his r,ce. RACHEL
and SARAH BERSHAKDr, who in private
life spit blood and gasp for breath, but.
once on tho stage, display Incompatible
energy. At the same time, in short, that
tho jew gives the onlooker an impression of
physical weakness he pos Scssc5 latent pow
ers OF endurance and capacity for suffer
Ing almost uncIualled in history.
Passing to particulars. NJ. LGROY-B BEAU
LIEU points out that the jew posse .ses two
qualities ostensbly contradictory, to wit,
precocity and longevity. Throughout the
east OF Europe it is common for Jewish
children to marry ut IN age when the two
spouses cannot count thirty years between
them. SALoMoN MEIMoN. the philosophical
rabbi OF the eighteenth century. was mar
ried before eleven to q girl o! the same age
ard when at twelve he had no child, his
mother-in-luw suspected him OF having beer
bewitchcd. Such carly unions We're believed
to preserve young IsraeIites from ds5ipa-
ton. but they are not now so frequent as
formerly oven in eastern Europe. while in
western countries they have quito gone out
o: fashion.
Tho longevity OF tho Jews Is, it seems,
susceptible OF ve-itlcatlon by statistics. IN
the United States tho expectation of life at
birth Is for an Israelite hfty-scvcn years
and for q Christian only forty-one. A jewish
boy, ten years old. has on the average nfty
years oi lie before him. whl.o Christian OF
the Same age has but thirty-sovcn. Another
striking anomaly brought out by statistical
tables IS the fact that among the Jews n
mans chance OF !ifo is better than wo-
mans. It is further shown by NJ LEROY
BRAULIEU that tho jew habitually multi
plies more rapidly than his Christian neigh
bors. and consequently the proportion OF
Israalitcs to Christians Is tending TO in
crease. At first sight ono might DO
tempted to attribute this gain to a
special fecundity In tho Hebrew race;
IS matter OF fact, however, the
Jews, almost everywhere at the present
day, have fewer children than do tho Chris
tians. On the other hand. they loso fewer;
the excess Of births over deaths Is greater.
The difference Is very marked In some cculi-
tries. III, for instance in Roumania. where
the proportion OF deaths to the number of
is $50 pcr cent. among tho
cent. The proportion of births. on the con-
trary. is 4.72 per cent. among Roumanian
Christians, and only All per cent. among the
Roulnanian Jews. Tho Jews have consequent
ly over their Christian compatr!ots double
they increase more rapidly. and
there is smaller outlay OF vitality. They
carry to an adult ago IL larger number of
men, although they brn. into the world
smalcr number OF children.
NJ. LEEoY-BEAULIgU attributes this in
tercsting phenomenon 10 the domestic
morality of tho Isrle!lte, T. the devotion
Of the parents to one another, 10 tho caro-
bestowed by the mother on her children, ald
,Sso to the prescription, vi tho rabbinilal
law touching tho rc$pec. which II husband
should ovince for his wfn's health. it is
certain that there arc much fewer still-boru
children MS well rs fewer illegitimata births
among Jews than among Christians. al
though the former hlbitually prefer an
urban environment.
We should add that tho hlostatical diff
!erences between Jews and Christians
tend to diminish rs Wa proceed from
the east to the west. that i II say.
from countries where lsraelites live iso-
lated, to countries where they live COM
.,tn rIad with tho nthor inhabitants II