ettled opinion of medical men."

[Footnote 22: Dr. J. R. Black.]

It seems scarcely possible that such enormity could be committed by
any human being, at least by civilized men, and in the face of the
injunctions of Moses to the Jews, to say nothing of the evident
indecency of the act. The Jews still maintain their integrity to the
observance of this command of their ancient lawgiver.

"Reason and experience both show that sexual relations at the menstrual
period are very dangerous to both man and woman, and perhaps also for
the offspring, should there chance to be conception."[23]

[Footnote 23: Mayer.]

The woman suffers from the congestion and nervous excitement which
occur at the most inopportune moment possible. Man may suffer physical
injury, though there are no grounds for the assertions of Pliny that
the menstrual blood is so potent for evil that it will, by a mere touch,
rust iron, render a tree sterile, make dogs mad, etc., or that of
Paracelsus that "of it the devil makes spiders, fleas, caterpillars,
and all the other insects that people the air."

Effects upon Offspring.--That those guilty of the transgression should
suffer, seems only just; but that an innocent being who had no part
in the sin--no voice in the time or manner of its advent into the
world--that such a one should suffer equally, if not more bitterly,
with the transgressors themselves, seems anything but just. But such
is nature's inexorable law, that the iniquities of the parents shall
be visited upon the children; and this fact should be a most powerful
influence to prevent parental transgression, especially in this
direction, in which the dire consequences fall so heavily and so
immediately upon an innocent being.

Says Acton, "The ill effects of marital excesses are not confined to
offending parties. No doubt can exist that many of the obscure cases
of sickly children, born of apparently healthy parents, arise from this
cause; and this is borne out by investigations amongst animals."

Breeders of stock who wish to secure sound progeny will not allow the
most robust stallion to associate with mares as many times during the
whole season as some of these salacious human males perform a similar
act within a month. One reason why the offspring suffer is that the
seminal fluid deteriorates very rapidly by repeated indulgence. The
spermatozoa do not have time to become maturely developed. Progeny
resulting from such immature elements wil