In General:
The Amish have their troubles, including the sorts of petty squabbles and cattiness that plague every intimate society. They worry about their children, their mortgages and their marriages, as others do. More seriously, the limited gene pool and frequency of second-cousin marriage (five surnames account for perhaps half the Amish population) results in a high rate of dwarfism, the highest incidence of twinning recorded in a human population, a cluster of serious metabolic disorders, and an unusual distribution of blood-types. But their suicide rate is half the U.S. norm, no provision exists for divorce, separation is rare, and the incidence of drug and alcohol abuse is a fraction of that in the general population. Crimes against property occur seldom and crimes of violence are virtually unknown.
In the Funeral:
The governor or Iowa pointed out that the Amish showed no potential for becoming a burden on the welfare system, and concluded that "we are in a deep spiritual sickness if we cannot tolerate 23,000 frugal people in our midst." Similarly, courts have determined that the Amish may be exempted from other compulsory programs, such as mandatory health insurance -- as can other groups which can demonstrate religious/philosophical opposition as well as a history of effective measures for the care of their sick and elderly.
Disease History:The Amish have their troubles, including the sorts of petty squabbles and cattiness that plague every intimate society. They worry about their children, their mortgages and their marriages, as others do. More seriously, the limited gene pool and frequency of second-cousin marriage (five surnames account for perhaps half the Amish population) results in a high rate of dwarfism, the highest incidence of twinning recorded in a human population, a cluster of serious metabolic disorders, and an unusual distribution of blood-types. But their suicide rate is half the U.S. norm, no provision exists for divorce, separation is rare, and the incidence of drug and alcohol abuse is a fraction of that in the general population. Crimes against property occur seldom and crimes of violence are virtually unknown.
In the Funeral:
The family takes care of cleaning
and dressing the body in traditional white garments.
