The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1914-02-12

Ethnology is the science which deals
with the genesis and characterization
pf nations. It's subject matter includes
FIRST. the description OF o certain num-
Der OF bodily characteristics by which
y certain group OF people are classified
30 as to be said TO belong to one race
or the other. or to a, subdivision OF p
race, namely, as Aryan or Semitic:
Such characteristics are the form OF
the head. whether long or short color
OF the skin, blond or brunet color
Of b eyes and hair. fair, golden OF
black and brown, blue, gray or brown
and black,
Second, this science occupies itself
with the description OF the physto-
logical ~pecularities Of the people. ana
third. with the mental characteristics.
But while he discussion or the hrst
group of characteristics IL rather
task for specialists, anthropologists
and ethnologists, who, as all scien-
lists have their technique, h descrip-,
ton OF the physiological and mental
traits OF peoples is Of more popular
and common interest. In the social
intercourse between men and men. q
knowledge of the particularities OF our
neighbor will help us to a higher APP
probation OF his personality, better
understanding and more congenial
amiability. In speaking, therefore, or
The ethnoIogy OF the Jews, o people
widely spread and found as an element
OF population everywhere. it will be
best IL we limit ourselves to tneir
physiological and mental traits.
Racial Blood Shows. ~.
The physical and physiological traits
of q nation are not only the result or
the racial blood but q product Of h
whole life OF the race. In the long
course OF the history OF its existence
n 1aAkN4wn .nNnNNHHAn ~ NfnI1d nhn F0 nfAT.
tstics, which, by consistent Inference,
become hereditary. With regard to
the Jews, whose racial life has been so
long and in many respects so extreme"
ly variably unique, 1t might well pc
expected that their physiological traits
should be many, distinct n pro
nounced. True, q number OF the traits
are a result Of peculiar social condi-
tons 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 un-
stable characteristics is the stature OF
the Jews. They are on the whole re-,
garded OF short stature; some have
spoken OF them as belonging to the
shortest nations, but Investigations
have o v 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 IL IOG CeuGlIucLSTH1 LUZ HOAl-SOWS
OF that region 1874 centimeters. In
England, however, the height of h
Jews equals that of the gentle, namely
ITO centimeters. The shortness OF the
stature OF the Jew is due to their
social conditions, poverty and poor nu-
triton. 1t was proven by Boas (Bul-
letin Of Immigration, 20S) that the
height OF the Jewish im<r ant has
considerably increased within a short
time. & " ~ .1.
But, while the life Of the Jew has left
it's cruel marks upon his physique, 1t
has also contributed to his welfare. 1t
Is to be noticed that the Jews posses a
number Of biotic Qife) advantages. He
Is able to live with ease under all clim-
ates, tropical as well al cold ones, he
exists In such places where Europeans
would long since have persisted IL not
for the influx Of immigrants. Another
valuable trait is their longevity, their
average duration Of life Is higher thar
that OF other creeds, their mortality IL
low. II 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
up 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 h
Jews Is longer and higher than the
non-Jews Census Bulletin 49,
On the pathological side the Jews
show some peculiar traits. Alcoholism
is rare among them, some authorities
ascribeeit 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 and
other contagious Diseases, but recent
Investigations prove 1t questionable.
Less Affected by tuberculosis.
In regard to tuberculosis, however, 1t
seems established that the Jews in
spite OF the narrowness Of their chest
are less affected by 1t, and those af-
fected hold out longer than the nom
Jews Omitted States vital statistics
1900 II is due to the past life Of the
Jews, to their long struggle for exist
ence and adaptation to environment as
city dweller, so hat they develop a
kind Of internal antitoxin against this
disease. There ara on the other hand,
certain ilclinations Of the Jews to-
wards particular diseases, foremost
among which is the inclination to
diabetis. A high rate of sufferers Of
this disease among the Jews has been
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 p~ecularities are due to conditions