134 THE PERFECT HORSE. 



dantly able to do all that horses may be expected to 

 do, and do it right along continually. If this be true, 

 the subject is beyond the need of argument, and outside 

 the boundary of speculation ; and breeders of trotting- 

 horses may henceforth regard it as a law in breeding, 

 that trotters can be safely inbred to trotters, as run- 

 ning-horses are inbred to running-horses. And to this 

 maxim my judgment gives a full, unhesitating assent. 



In reference to this matter of inbreeding, I am in- 

 clined to think that not only should it be done between 

 members of the trotting-family, but that it may also be 

 done with profit in the case of blood relations. ' I know 

 that many have strong prejudices against this, and that 

 physiologists claim, that, in the human family, it is at- 

 tended with grave and lamentable results ; but, to my 

 mind, the case does not seem to be made out. In 

 the first place, it should be remembered that mar- 

 riage in the human family cannot be regulated as in the 

 case of animals. You cannot elect and discard at ivill. 

 Other than scientific principles prevail to bring about 

 the union. Hence it comes about that faults and weak- 

 nesses, both as to the mind and body, are increased, 

 instead of decreased ; and the child suffers in a double 

 measure from the infirmity of either parent, because 

 he represents the infirmity multiplied by two. But, 

 in the case of animals, the election of partners for the 

 union can be arbitrary, and so imperfections avoided, 

 and excellences greatly and quickly increased. The 

 cases are so unlike, you perceive, that it is not fair to 



