BEEEDING IN-AND-IN. 117 



relatives is fatal — fatal not only to the physical organization, 

 but to the mind among human beings, and even to the 

 instinct among brutes. 



It was stated in the preceding Chapter that vrhen 

 hereditary disease or a predisposition toward it, exists in 

 either parent, there is always danger that it will be trans- 

 mitted to offspring, and that if the disease or predisposition 

 exists in both parents, that danger is greatly increased. If 

 the parents be nearly related to each other, the danger of 

 transmission is virtually converted into certainty, with an 

 aggravation of the conditions and increased incurableness in 

 the malady. Consequently when mankind degenerated from 

 their original physical perfection— when disease entered the 

 world and predispositions to it became engrafted in the 

 human system — the Divine Lawgiver made coha'^itation 

 within certain degrees of affinity a crime by prohibition. 

 But if it was evil in itself {malum in se) why was it not 

 prohibited to the immediate descendants of our first parents, 

 and why were not unrelated human beings created to avoid 

 its necessity ? The peopling of the world in the second 

 generation at least, was necessarily carried on between 

 brothers and sisters, the closest possible relations. Can it be 

 supposed that, under the direct ordination of Omnipotence, 

 the human race originated in a crime against nature — in an 

 extreme violation of the fundamental laws which regulate 

 physical and mental well being? 



The brute, it is fair to assume, was started in its course of 

 procreation equally unrestricted, for it would understand no 

 prohibition; and it was created with habits which must 

 constantly and necessarily lead to cohabitation and breeding 

 between the nearest relatives. Some varieties of birds, like 

 the dove, are hatched in pairs, one of each sex, and with 

 habits which would render the separation of those pairs, for 

 procreation, the exception instead of the rule. Some varieties 

 of quadrupeds, like the lion, are bom and brought up in 

 isolated families ; and having no aversion to breeding between 

 relatives, it would be most natural that those who thus live 

 together should at maturity pair together. In herds of 

 elephants, wild horses, buffaloes, etc., particular males 

 dominate over the same herd for years, and make it their 

 harem until they become enfeebled and are conquered by 

 some more youthful and more vigorous rival — probably a 

 son — who in turn dominates, decays and gives place to a 

 successor. In this course of things, the father must be 



