98 CATTLE-BREEDING. 



scarcely less with the cases of idiocy, insanity, 

 consumption, and scrofula which have resulted 

 from a defiance of this law, sometimes only in 

 spirit, as by the frequent intermarriage of rela- 

 tions not within the limits of incest. 



The force of the argument against in-and-in 

 breeding has been sought to be broken by citing 

 the case of the Jews. There is much to be said 

 for this example. In the earliest record of the 

 race we see in the marriages of Abraham and 

 Sarah, of Isaac and Rebecca, of Jacob and 

 Leah and Rachel that close and intimate inter- 

 marriage which in an early stage and under 

 the circumstances presented by a primitive race 

 dwelling near to a state of Nature is in accord 

 with general experience the most potent influ- 

 ence for fixing a race type. But we see as the 

 race is more expanded the stringent law against 

 incest, and among a numerous people dwelling 

 in a rough and mountainous country, and at 

 no long period acquainted with the enervating 

 influences of a luxurious life of ease and dissi- 

 pation, such as was the state of the Jews until 

 the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus; or dwell- 

 ing in every land and among all peoples, sepa- 

 rate and apart, communicating and intermarry- 

 ing with their kindred in many lands, excluded 

 from most of the temptations to luxury and 

 vice by caste lines, as is their now long-exist- 

 ing condition it would not be strange that, 



