according to Fracastor they escaped the typhus of 1505; Rau remarks
their immunity to the typhus of 1824; Ramazzini noticed their exemption
to the fatal intermittents of Rome, in 1691; and Degner says that they
escaped the epidemic dysentery at Nimegue, in 1736. Richardson truly
observes that "from epidemics the Jews have often escaped, as if they
possessed a charmed life." This racial difference and benefit, when
compared to other races, has more than once cost them dear. In the dark
and ignorant ages, when men reasoned nothing from a physical basis, but
attributed all and every phenomena to some supernatural agency, either
heavenly or diabolical, it was but natural for such minds to associate
this exemption with some purchased compact made with the devil, who was
often also held accountable for the existence of the epidemics. The
rational and law-of-nature observing Jew supposed to be in league with
his satanic majesty could neither be seen nor heard in his own defense;
consequently, massacres, pillaging, and such other barbarities that an
insane popular fury could suggest, were the humane manifestations with
which a Christian people visited their Jewish brothers, whose only sin
consisted in worshiping the God of their fathers, and in strictly
observing His laws and commandments.

In France, Dr. Neufville found that, of one hundred children in the
first five years of life, among the Jewish population, 12.9 die; while
from the same number of the same aged class of Christians 24.1 die.
One-half of all the Christians die at thirty-six years, and one-half of
all the Jews at fifty-three years and one month.

Dr. John S. Billings has gathered statistics relating to 10,618 Jewish
families, consisting of 60,630 persons,[70] living in the United States
in December, 1889, mostly descendants of Jews from the northern or
middle nations of Europe. For our purpose only the deductions as to
death-rate and tendency to longevity will be given. In this valuable
paper Dr. Billings says: "When we come to examine the reports of deaths
for five years furnished by these Jewish families, we find that they
give an average annual death-rate of only 7.1 per 1000, which would be
about one-half of the annual death-rate among other persons of the same
average social class and condition living in this country." To this he
adds that, provided the deaths at different ages among the Jews have
been correctly reported, this race will, on comparison wit