Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1895-11-14
HEREDITY AND MARRIAGE

Among the features OF interest at the
Congress of Professional Women of the
Cotton States and International Expo
sition, at Atlanta, was an address by
DIR. Cora Belle Brewster, of Baltimore.
The subject was "Heredity." Among
other things DR.. Brewster said
Except by unavoidable accident, no
child should be born diseased, con-
demned in advance to suffer always.
Who will contend that it is right to be-
children condemned before their biz h
to q life OF misery, a life of suffering,
and even of mental weakness? |.
seems to me cruelty no less GRIM.
nal to do such a thing knowing that it
is to tyrannize and kill after birth.
"There are brains which are distinct
ly criminal; the constitutional criminal
is tainted individual and has the
same relation to crime that the epilep-
tic has to commissions; he cannot heip
it. Shall We allow him to pelpetuate
his anomaliea? All ask is that the
application of this fact be recognized,
aud there will be created veritable
revolution in iniis; ruience.
THE mrn of the e, untry arc euccur-
aged to marry too young. From % 10
40 men are at their best physically.
From 40 to go they are at the zenith Of
their intells c.ual powers.
Immature marriages are to he
guarded against. The children are d.
ticient in vitality; they come into the
world weak and tired from the start.
unequal to the struggle of life.
"One of the topics selected for dis
cussion before the Public Health AS
ISOLATION at late meeting was The
Restriction and Prevention of Tu-
berculosis.' For many years this
question has received a great deal
of attention in every part of the
civilized world. But the feature which.
in my judgment, is the most import.
ant has been sadly neglected. l have
reference to the relation of marriage to
consumption. Ifope reflects moment.
one cannot escape the conclusion that,
after all, one of the most positive
sources of transmission and discerning.
ton of tuberculosis is not to be fornd
in public conditions, bad as some of
these are, but in the domestic centres.
whoever married in cold-blooded
common sense? Not even the learned
disciples of Esculapius, who know al
things physiological and pathological.
remain entirely sane after being pierced
by the dart of Cupid. AS consequence
marriage is, as rule, universally en-
tered into without proper reflection.
irrespective of physical, mental and
moral defects.
.As a means of preventing insult
able marriages there should De
established campaigns of education
by public lectures especially 10
teachers and those having charge
of the young that they may be
able to impart correct instruction to
their charges. Sanitary science and
the laws of heredity should be added
to the course of study in all our public
schools, but before this can be done the
teachers themselves must be taught
aud the parents must be impressed
with the Importance of this instruction.
Practising physicians should strenu-
ously discourage these marriages and
educate their patrons to the danger.
1--WE should not educate our children
as though there were no crime, i'm
purity and sin in the world, for il is NJ
terly impossible that they should
not know of their existence, often
through bitter experience which might
have been avoided by an education
pointing out its dangers and how they
may be avoided.
LAS factor in the etiology of insan-
ity heredity stands foremost. The pre-
in certain families is such
that any mental or moral strain, or any
g elt ply steal depression is liable 10
prove The exciting cause of an attack
of mania melancholia or dementia."
A WEST VIRGINIA TRAGEDy.-Beu.
jamin Hall, deputy sheriff and turn
key at the county jail, Parkersburg,
w. Va, was shot four times and prob
ably fatally wounded about half-past
o'clock yesterday afternoon by w. Scott
Hines, prominent citizen. For some
time past Kimes has been aware Of
Halls attentions to Mrs. HINES, and
two or three times has notified the
police about the matter, but Hall. it is
alleged, pursued the even tenor of his
love-making, and yesterday afternoon
the couple were out walking, returning
to the HINES residence about quarter
Off. AS they stood on the porch talk
ing, Hines approached and, drawinga
revolver, fired FIVE shots at Hall. four
taking efect-one in the right side, one
in the left arm, one in the left ankle
and one in the back, the latter perforat-
ing kidney. Hall ran short distance
and fell, while HINES went into his
house, where he WAS arrested and lock
sd up. Much excitement was occs-
stoned when the grand jury, upon evil
dence presented by Rev. R. B. Smith,
returned indictments against consid
cradle number of the most prominent
people in the city for renting houses for
unlawful purposes.
CAUSED HER HUSBAND TO MURDER.
At the trial Tuesday in Vancouver, B.
T., of John Smith for the murder Of
Benson Conlin, Mrs. Smith, wife of the
admitted on the witness stand