172 PEIMITIVE AGRICULTURAL RACES 



source of elimination as of relatively small importance among the 

 races of this group whether in America or elsewhere. We may 

 note a few examples of the evidence to the effect that these races 

 were formerly on the whole remarkably healthy and long-lived. 

 Catlin says that the Mandans were ' undoubtedly a longer lived 

 and healthier race ' than most civiHzed peoples. ^ According to 

 Le Beau the Iroquois were ' practically never ill ' ; in spite of 

 a climate that he himself found trying, ' they were ', he says, 

 ' nearly all strong and robust ', and had few diseases. ^ ' On the 

 whole, the Yuchi, men, women, and children, are a remarkably 

 healthy set of people.' ^ The Shawnees are ' very healthy and are 

 exempt from many diseases '.^ Spix and Martins, with their exten- 

 sive knowledge of the Indians of Brazil, say in general that ' the 

 Indians are seldom sick and generally live to an advanced age '.^ 



12. There is among the agricultural races of America as among 

 the hunting races, and, as we shall see, among all primitive races, 

 a very high rate of child mortality. As before we find the chief 

 causes to be lack of knowledge, lack of care, lack of suitable food 

 and surroundings, and certain peculiar customs.^ It is not neces- 

 sary to review the evidence in detail. Of the Sioux we are told 

 that ' many die in infancy caused by exposure 'J Another 

 observer uses the same phrase, and adds that ' their mothers, 

 to inure them to suffering and to strengthen their constitution, 

 do not take all the necessary care of them '.^ Lumholtz attributes 

 child mortality in part to the eating of unsuitable food.^ Not 

 only in North America but also in Brazil are new-born children 

 regularly dipped in cold water.^" 



Africa 



13. Pre-puberty intercourse is common throughout Africa both 

 in the form of recognized early marriage and of irregular but 

 tolerated early sexual relations. Among the Cross River natives 



> Catlin, loc. cit., vol. ii, p. 228. ^ Le Beau, loc. cit., vol. ii, pp. 93 and 98. 



3 Speck, loc. cit., p. 14. * Ashe, loc. cit., p. 270. ^ Spix and Martins, 



loc. cit., vol. ii, p. 249. * For the North American Indians see Handbook of 



American Indians, p. 238. ' Schoolcraft, loc. cit., vol. iii, p. 238. * Dome- 



nech, loc. cit., vol. ii, p. 295. ^ Lumholtz, Uiiknown Mexico, vol. ii, p. 90. 



'" Heriot, Travels, p. 343. Dumarest, speaking of the Cochiti, says that ' some- 

 times, in the midst of winter, the child's father will take him out and, after breaking 

 the ice, . . . will immerse him in the river. Formerly when, in winter, children 

 came from bathing in the river, they were not allowed to approach the fire until 

 their hair was thawed out ' (Mem. Am. Anth. Ass., vol. vi. No. 3, p. 144). Koch- 

 Griinberg states the mortality is heavy among the children of the Amazon tribes 

 and that they are dipped in cold water (Zwei Jahre, vol. ii, pp. 59 and 150). 



