294 On the BLACK COLOR 



who are diftinguiilied by a peculiarity of figure, in any part 

 of the body. Many of the inhabitants of the highlands of 

 Scotland, have the lame red hair, and the fame high cheek 

 bones which are afcribed to their anceftors by Tacitus after 

 the invafion of Britain. Even the tumors in the throat in the 

 Cretins who inhabit the Alps, are tranfmitted from father 

 to fon, through a long fucceffion of generations. Madnefs, 

 and confumption in like manner are hereditary in many fa- 

 milies, both of which occupy parts of the body, much more 

 liable to change in fucceffive generations, than the fkin. 



Should it be objefted to this theory that the leprofy is 

 an infeflious diforder, but that no infectious quality exifls 

 in the fkin of the negro, I would reply to fuch objedion by 

 remarking in the firft place, that the leprofy has in a great 

 degree ceafed to be infectious, more efpecially from con- 

 tact, and fecondly that there are inftances in which fome- 

 thing like an infe<3;ious quality has appeared in the fkin of 

 a negro. A white woman in North Carolina not only ac- 

 quired a dark color, but feveral of the features of a negro, 

 by marrying and living with a black hufband. A fimilar 

 inflance of a change in the color and features of a woman in 

 Buck's county in Pennfylvania has been obferved and from 

 a fimilar caufe. In both thefe cafes, the women bore chil- 

 dren by their black hufbands. 



It is no objedtion to the theory I have attempted to efla- 

 blifh, that the negroes arc as healthy, and long lived as the 

 white people. Local difeafes of the fkin feldom alTed: the 

 general health of the body, or the duration of human life. 

 Dr. Theiry remarks that the itch, and even the leprofy, 

 did not impair longevity in thofe people who lived near 

 the I'ea-fhore in the healthy climate of Galicia.* 



The fadts and principles v/hich I have delivered, lead to 

 the following reflections. 



* Vol. II. p. 171, 



I. That 



