Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1914-02-12

with the genesis and characterization
of nations. Its subject matter includes
first, the description of a certain num-
Der of bodily characteristics by which
a certain group of people are CLASSIFIED
SO as to be said to belong to one race
or the other, or to a subdivision of the
race, namely, as Aryan or Semitic.
Such. characteristics are h form OF
the head. whether long or short, color
of the skin, blond or brunei, color
of the eyes and hair. fair. golden or
black and brown, blue, gray or brown.
and black.
Second, this science occupies itself
with the description of the physio-
logical ~pecularities of the people, n
third, with the mental characteristics.
But while the discussion of the first
group of characteristics is rather a
task for specialists, anthropologists
and ethnologists, who, as all scien-
lists have their technique, the descrip-
ton Of the physiological and mental
traits of peoples is of more popular
n common interest. In the social
knowledge of the part~icularities of our
neighbor will help us to a higher ap-
probation of his personality. better
understanding and more congenial
'amiability. In speaking, therefore, Of
the ethnology of the Jews, a people
widely spread and found as an element
of population everywhere, it will be
physiological n mental traits.
Racial Blood Shows.
The physical and physiological traits
of a nation are not only the result OF
the racial blood but a product of the
whole life of the race. In the long
course OF the history of it's existence
a nation acquires various character
icficS which hv onnSictant i'm h~pranca.
become hereditary. With regard to
the Jews, whose racial life has been SO
long and in many respects so extreme
ly variably unique. it might we'll be
expected hat their physiological traits
should ne many, distinct aEld pro-
nounced. True, a number of the traits
are a result Of peculiar social condi-
'tions that have existed and still exist,
and with the removal of the cause the
effect disappears, but in the majority
of traits are stable. One of such n
stable characteristics is the stature of
the Jews. They are on the whole re-
garded of short stature; some have
shortest nations, but investigations
have pnaven differently. The stature
of the Jews differs only by two CEN
timeters from that of the non-JeWs.
The average for the eastern European
Jews is E62 centimeters, for nom-Jews
OIL IndC region lOf CeLlltlieleIS. LIZ
England, however, the height of. the
Jews equals that of the gentle. namely
ITO c~entianeters. The shortness of the
stature of the Jew is due to their
social conditions, poverty and poor nu-
triton. 1t was rover by Boas (Bul-
tletin of immigration, 2O8) that the
height of the Jewish immigrant has
time.
But, White the life of the Jew has left
its cruel marks upon his physique, 1t
has also contributed to his welfare. II
is ito be noticed that the Jews posses a
number of biotic Oife) advantages. He
is able to live with east under all CHM
ates. tropical as we'll as cold ones. he
exists in such places where Europeans
would long since have persisted if not
for the influx of immigrants. Another
valuable trait is their longevity, their
average duration of life is higher than
that of other creeds, their mortality is
low 1T is claimed that ON this account
they are regarded by life insurance
companies as desirable clients. On the
other hand their birth rate is not very
high and their great increase is made
mp by the small death rate. Their te-
nacity to life is remarkable, especially
low is their infant mortality, and ac-
cordingly the expectation of life of the
Jews is longer and higher han the
non-Jews Census Bulletin 49,
On the pathological side the Jews
show some peculiar traits. Alcoholism
is rare among them, some authorities
ascribe it to an inherent immunity, but
some to their pure life, which immunity
disappears with their emancipation
from ghetto. Immunity has been
claimed for the Jews from epidemic de-
seases such as cholera, typhoid Inc
other contagious Diseases, but recent
Investigations prove it questionable.
Less Affected by tuberculosis.
In reSar TO tuberculosis, however, ii
seems established that the Jews iii
spite of the narrowness Of their chest
fected hold out longer than the non-
Jews Omitted States vital statistics
1909 1t is due to the past life Of the
Jews, to their long struggle for exist
ence and adaptation to environment as
city dweller, so that they develop a
disease. There are on the other hand
certain inclinations Of the Jews to-
wards particular diseases, foremost
among which is the inclination tc
diabetis. A high rate Of sufferers OF
this disease among the Jews has beer
observed everywhere. though the NOR
tally from this illness amongst them is
not SO high. There is also a marked
disposition among the Jews to blind
ness in general, and to color blindness
in particular as we'll as to leaf mutism.
These pecularities are due to conditions
such as the marriage Of cousins which
Is allowed among them as well as to
the urban mode Of life.
OF the mental diseases a great share
falls to the Jew, is quite
high among them, out it is only the
lighter kinds such as hysteria. The
percentage of insane among Jews is
somewhat higher than for other nation
alities. We must not forget however
that nervou disturbances is a distinc-
tive mark Of Jul ~ and civilization,
due to feverish and intense life. Whose
life is more feverish and intense thar
the Jews, whose social n legal po-
sition in certain countries is well known.
One of the interesting traits Of the
Jews is their ~precocity, premature de-
velopment Is to be noticed in the
growth Of intellect of Jewish children
as we'll as in their physique. untimely
decay Is also to be noticed among them
and signs Of old age appear with Jews
at an early period.
The Mental Traits of the Jews.
The evolution of the individuality of
a nation is similar to the growth of
the personality of a single individual.
The personality of an Individual at
any moment in his life is the sum total
Of all the forces physical, biological
and spiritual, operating from the mo-
ment OF his birth, even before birth,
through heredity, to the last minute
Of observation. Personality is con-
tinually being created by Zach individ-
ual every day. 1t is il the same light