CONSANGUINEOUS MARRIAGES. 273 



indulging in the same dissipations, tends to engender 

 like diseases and degenerations irrespective of any 

 blood relationship. Hence it not seldom happens 

 that persons not even distantly related by blood, 

 are, in reality, much more nearly related in tempera- 

 ment than cousins, or even nearer blood relations, 

 who have experienced widely different modes of 

 life. This " social consanguinity " is the great curee 

 which dogs every exclusive tribe and class, and hurries 

 them to extinction. It has largely aided real or 

 family consanguinity in the production of the disease 

 and degeneration which have so heavily fallen upon 

 the aristocracies and royal families of Europe. There- 

 fore the introduction of plebeian blood into the noble 

 family is to be applauded, not only as being poetic, but 

 as being useful. The " lady of low degree " frequently 

 brings with her a heritage of health more valuable 

 than silver or gold. But when she brings gold too, 

 as does the modern American representative of the 

 " Gipsy Countess " of old, there appears nothing left 

 to be desired. 



The important part played by this " social consan- 

 guinity" in bringing about family degeneration, is 

 well illustrated both positively and negatively in the 

 case of the Jews. This race has permitted the inter- 

 marriage of near blood relations from the earliest 

 times up to the present, and such unions have at 

 all times been common amongst them. Yet the 

 Jews have for centuries maintained a physical and 

 intellectual standard quite up to the average of 



