A CHAPTER FOR MARRIED PEOPLE 525 



be committed by any human being, at least by civilized 

 men, and in the face of the injunctions of Moses to the 

 Jews, to say nothing of the evident indecency of the 

 act. The Jews still maintain their integrity to the 

 observance of the command of their ancient lawgiver. 



Indulgence during menstruation is liable to produce 

 violent hemorrhage, internal congestion, and even in- 

 flammation in the woman, and in the man an inflamma- 

 tion of the urethra, similar to gonorrhea. One of the 

 most inveterate cases of catarrhal inflammation of the 

 urethra which we have ever met in the treatment of a 

 large number of cases of this sort, was occasioned in 

 this way. 



Effects upon Offspring.— That those guilty of 

 transgression should suffer, seems only just; but that 

 an innocent being who had no part in the sin, no voice 

 in the time or manner of its advent into the world, — 

 that such a one should suffer equally, if not more bit- 

 terly, with the transgressors themselves, seems any- 

 thing but just. But such is nature's inexorable law, 

 that the iniquities of the parents shall be visited upon 

 the children; and this fact should be a most powerful 

 influence to prevent parental transgression, especially 

 in this direction, in which the dire consequences fall 

 so heavily and so immediately upon an innocent being. 



Says Acton, ' ' The ill effects of marital excesses are 

 not confined to offending parties. No doubt can exist 

 that many of the obscure cases of sickly children, born 

 of apparently healthy parents, arise from this cause; 

 and this is borne out by investigations among animals. ' ' 



Breeders of stock who wish to seaure sound prog- 

 eny will not allow the most robust stallion to associate 

 with mares as many times during the whole season as 

 some of these salacious human males perform a simi- 



