Claudius F. Mayer: From Plato to Pope Paul / Orvostörténeti Közlemények – Supplementum 17. (Budapest, 1989)
connected with the nomadic nature of existence among hunting and fishing races. 44 The old dropped out by the way, and died from exhaustion. There seems to be no^ uniform practice, however. Tasmanians used to abandon the sick and weak. 45, Bushmen left old persons with a piece of meat and an ostrich-egg shell full of water;, there after, they had to perish. 4 6 Eskimos likewise did not treat their aged well. In the Ungava district old peoples were put to death. 4 7 Among the central Eskimos, a man might have killed his aged parents. 4 8 On the East Coast of Greenland, it sometimes happened that old people who seemed likely to die were drowned, or else they drowned themselves. 4 0 The Queka Indians abandon the sick and aged. Central Californiañs and the Zaporos also used to kill their old people. 5 0 The Hudson Bay Eskimos strangled the old who were dependent on others for their food, or they left them perish when the camp was moved; indeed, it was moved whenever they wanted to get rid of the burdensome old people. Yet, some other primitive tribes recognized that the old ones were still good for guarding the fields. 5 1 All these primitive genetic practices became the inheritance of mankind, and, inspite of laws and regulations, they remained cherished tradition of civilized societies. III. ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS Among all Indo-European races, worship of the dead and worship of the ancestors by offerings was an universal custom. 5 2 It was the same also in ancient India where marriage was —and still is —considered a religious duty. The Hindu asked his ancestor spirits that in his family the number of good men might increase, and that he himself might have much to give to his honorable forefathers. A male heir was an object of the first importance. Immortality through germ-plasm continuity was already expressed in the ordinances of MANU 5 3 which said that by a son a man obtains victory over all people; by a son's son he enjoys immortaliy, and afterwards by the son of that grandson he reaches the solar abode. 5 4 This lawbook also stated that a man of rejected origin would inherit the bad quality of this father or of his mother or of both together, and he could therefore never deny his origin. 55 This view was at the basis of the ancient Indian caste system, 5 6 and it resulted in a hereditary stratification of occupations and classes. 5 7 As a breeding system, caste formation had its advantages and disadvantages in the Indian social order. 5 8 Since all Hindus were expected to marry, and to have sons, there were few bachelors or old maids, except where ascetic groups were concerned. Castes are generally inmarrying groups inherited from parents. 5 0 It was the law that if a person was born with disease or defect, or who became sick before the start of puberty, he was rejected from the caste. Thus, castes partially protected against physical and mental degeneration. 6 0 For refreshing the inbred caste, the legislator provided that a Brahman —also members of the second and third castes —can also take a Sudra for concubine, i.e., a woman of the physically strong caste. 6 1 Daughters were given into matrimony as soon as they became nubile. Rigidity of the caste system was ensured by encouraging consanguineous marriages. 6 2 9
