578 in 10,000 of their own race; foreign, 24,523, or 1491 in 10,000 of their own race;" a difference of a most significant character. "In Boston there were, Americans, 7,278, or 966 in 10,000, foreign, 13,032, or 2,053 in 10,000 in three years." He adds,-"These facts certainly show a much greater tendency to marriage, and a more rapid production among the foreign than among the native population here." He says on page 121-" foreigners generally intermarry with each other, so far as we have means of observation; there are comparatively few instances of natives and aliens uniting together; so few are there that they do not militate with the general rule. With the Irish especially, this rule is almost universal, and with all it will be safe to say that there are no more marriages of foreigners than there are foreign marriageable females, the exceptions are so rare as not to destroy any extensive calculations made in regard to it." Dr. Jarvis seeks to weaken the facts thus brought out, by intimating that the children of foreigners dying young are more numerous than those of the natives who die young, and that the rapid increase among the former may thus be partly accounted for. This, however, is not enough. The deaths must indeed be wonderfully frequent among the offspring of emigrants, if they can make 598 births in 10,000, equal to 1,491 in 10,000, or 966 in 10,000 equal to 2,053 in 10,000. The facts I believe must stand, the excess of births among the foreign over the native population indicating one of two things respecting the latter,-either that they are an enfeebled race, or addicted to practices which I will not name.

These figures confirm all my own observations. A large family is comparatively seldom met with in New England. Indeed, the absence of children altogether, appears to be a far commoner thing than any large number of them in a household. The remarks of the old people likewise sustain my view. Such can run over long lists of households, which, during the past generation, were like households at the present day in Britain, crowded with little people; and when they do so, they invariably note the difference between thirty or forty years since and the present time. I am now speaking chiefly. of New England, of which Massachusetts is the best State; but the Census returns for the entire Union, show a general decrease, rather than an increase in the number of the young. The following abstract is taken from some remarks which I have already published on this subject:-Thus, "in 1830, there were, in the whole Union, a fraction over eighteen per cent. of males, and seventeen per cent. of females umder five years of age; while in 1850, there were under five years, only fourteen and rather more than a half per cent. of

the former, and rather less than fifteen per cent. of the latter. In 1830, there were fourteen and a half per cent. of males under ten years, and the same number of females under ten years; in 1850, there were thirteen and a half per cent. of the former, and rather less than fourteen per cent. of the latter. This difference on the whole Union is striking enough, and confirmative of my opinions; but I am certain that if we had any such statistics as to the present number of children in New England, compared with forty years since, we would find the difference far more remarkable."

The second point in proof of the physical degeneracy of New England, is found in the prevalence of insanity and idiocy among its inhabitants.

Let us first look at the statements of the Census on this head, merely premising that, in so far as it is inaccurate, it is so because it' understates the matter. From this source it would appear that in 1840, the ratio of white insane persons in Massachusetts was as 1 to 605; in 1850, it was as 1 to 403. In 1840, the ratio of white insane persons in Connecticut was as 1 to 606; in 1850, it was as 1 to 486. In 1840, the ratio of white insane persons in Maine was as 1 to 932; in 1850, it was as 1 to 514. In 1840, the ratio of white insane persons in Rhode Island was as 1 to 520; in 1850, it was as 1 to 449. In 1840, the ratio of white insane persons in Vermont was as 1 to 732; in 1850, it was as 1 to 366.

From these figures it is certain, either that mental disease is on the increase, or else that the Census of 1840 was singularly imperfect. Leaving this question, however, I shall now state, as by the Census of 1851, the ratio of insane and idiotic in the New England, as compared with some other States:

"Massachusetts had, in 1850, 1 insane or idiotic white person, for every 403 sane whites. That same year, the ratio of insane or idiotic whites, to sane whites, was-in Michigan, 1 to 1,242; in Mississippi, 1 to 1,227; in Missouri, 1 to 1,031. Connecticut had, in 1850, 1 insane or idiotic white for every 486 sane whites.— That same year, the ratio of insane or idiotic whites to sane whites was-in Columbia, 1 to 1,649; in Florida, 1 to 1,276; in Illinois, 1 to 1,417; in Iowa, 1 to 1,410. Maine had, in 1850, 1 insane or idiotic white for every 514 sane whites. That same year, the ratio of insane or idiotic whites was-in Arkansas, I to 995; in Louisiana, 1 to 1,022; in New York, 1 to 738. Rhode Island had, in 1850, 1 insane or idiotic white, for every 449 sane whites. That same year, the ratio of insane or idiotic whites, to sane whites, was-in Texas, 1 to 1,185; in Wisconsin, 1 to 2,087; in Minnesota, 1 to 3,019; in New Mexico, 1 to 1,118. In 1850, Vermont had 1 insane or idiotic white for every 366 sane whites. That same year, the ratio of insane or idiotic whites, to sane whites, was-in Oregon, 1 to 1,454; and in Utah, 1 to 1,888."

"In all the comparisons made, New England retains a fearful pre-eminence. In comparing her with some other old States, this is not quite so great. Take the following table:

RATIO OF INSANE AND IDIOTIC, TO SANE, IN 1850.

Such are the indications of the Census. It may be supposed, however, that the returns in the New England States were more complete than those of the new settled countries. This is no doubt the case. Still, making every allowance, I cannot doubt but that there is far more cerebral disease in New England than in any other portion of the Union.

We shall now leave the Census tables, and turn to a more complete document, to wit "the Report on Insanity and Idiocy in Massachusetts, by the Commission on Lunacy, under the resolve of the Legislature in 1854." Respecting this authority it seems safe to say that, with regard to "accuracy, completeness and pertinence," it has never been surpassed. The means employed for procuring facts were most efficient, and the chances of error were as greatly reduced as it seems possible to have reduced them. The returns in the British Census for 1851 bear a poor comparison with the fullness of those contained in this Report. It refers to Massachusetts only; but as this is a type of all the other New England States, the facts established respecting it may be taken as a fair indication of the condition of the rest. These are peculiarly striking.

A careful separation of the insane and idiotic is kept up throughout this document. Of the former, Massachusetts contains a total of 2,632; of the latter, a total of 1,087: giving 3,719 as the sum of both

classes. A distinction is again made of the mentally diseased among the native and the foreign population, which gives of native insane, 2,007, and of foreign insane, 625; of native idiotic, 1,043, and of foreign idiotic, 44. We have here data of the most reliable kind; but there are different ways of dealing with them. Thus the Commissioners, or rather Dr. Jarvis, in stating the comparative numbers of native and foreign demented, carefully keeps up the distinction hitherto followed, and by doing so shews that insanity is more common among the immigrants than among his own people. By this mode of reckoning he shews the ratio of insane among natives to be as 1 to 445, and the ratio of insane among foreigners to be as 1 to 368. The excess of lunacy among these strangers is unquestionable and noticeable, but it is neither a strange fact, nor an unaccountable one. Their trials explain all. The case is greatly altered, however, when he deals with idiocy. This same comparison shews that among the natives, the idiotic are as 1 to every 889, while among foreigners they are as 1 to every 7,931.

Were we anxious merely to prove great derangement in both classes, this mode of computation might suffice. But as we are anxious to discover the actual amount of mental disease existing amongst a particular class, in common with the writer on lunacy in the North American Review for January last, I cannot help deeming it unsatisfactory, to say no more. I believe that the New Englanders are degenerating, that every kind of mental disease is degeneracy, whether for convenience sake the species be styled lunacy or idiocy; and therefore must, and am entitled to conjoin both classes in order to reach the actual state of the case. The saneness of a country can only be decided on by knowing the total of the unsaneness found in it. I believe, therefore, that though the Commissioners gave peculiar prominence to the excess of foreign lunatics as compared with native, every one, themselves not excepted, will admit that, in an enquiry like that which I now indicate, we are fully entitled to lay aside their specific distinctions, and so speak of all the demented as comprehended under one genus.

When we do so, the apparent exemption of the natives from cerebral disease disappears at once, and most painful results become manifest. In 1854 the natives in Massachusetts amounted to 894,676, the foreigners to 230,000. The insane and idiotic among the former amounted in all to 3,050; the insane and idiotic among the latter amounted in all to 669. The application is now easy, and the result, that the mentally diseased among the foreigners are in the ratio of 1 to 367, while the mentally diseased among the natives are in the ratio

of 1 to 295, giving a difference of 72 in favor of the immigrant population. This is the mode of reckoning adopted by the North American Reviewer, who says that the Report proves one or both of the following results-"either that insanity (using the word generically) is more prevalent in Massachusetts than anywhere else, or that its dimensions have been more accurately guaged."

The insanity then, among the native population in Massachusetts, is as 1 to 293; and that the reader may perceive the value of this ratio, I would state that, about the year 1838, the insane of England were reckoned as 1 to 1,000; in Wales as 1 to 800; in France as 1 to 1,000; in Prussia as 1 to 1,000; in Scotland as 1 to 574; in Norway as 1 to 551. The last Census of our Province gives for Lower Canada 1 in 513, and in Upper Canada 1 in 890. The British Census for 1851, gives the insane of Great Britain as 1 to 1,115, which, however, is probably under the mark.

Another proof and source of degeneracy in New England, is the prevalence of strumous diseases among its native inhabitants. I cannot indeed quote figures in reference to this matter. Every one, however, is aware of the fact that such diseases are alarmingly common. In Britain, people look with dread on such a taint. Among the Scottish peasantry it is almost unknown, and, generally throughout all Scotland, there prevails a fear of intermarrying with parties affected by it. As for the state of feeling in England I cannot confidently speak. I believe, however, that it resembles more or less that of the population north of the Tweed. In New England the case is far otherwise. In town or country, no one makes any secret of being afflicted with such diseases. Contrariwise, people tell you all about it, and discourse on the matter as if it were the measles which ailed them. Such affections seem to be so universal, that no delicacy is felt, or possible in the circumstances.

I need not go on to multiply proofs. People who visit New England will find them if they use their eyes. The men are for the most part lathe-like, angular, and sallow; their shoulders have a most jagged squareness, and their chests a hollowness equal to any which ever troubled Theodore Hook. Then one looks in vain for calf or hip. Such accessories seem by universal consent to have been discarded by the entire population, raising the tailor from the rank of a mechanic to that of a sculptor. When, again, we turn from the men to the women, we find equally striking proofs of degeneracy. Not only are their shoulders narrow to a most unnatural degree, but their chests likewise are hollow and contract