,transcriber's ,notes3 ,words in italics
 in the original are surrounded by      
underscores4 ,variations in spelling and
 hyphenation remain as in the original4 
,ellipses match the original4 ,a        
complete list of typographical          
corrections as well as other notes      
follows the text4   ,illustration3 ,,the
 ,,theoretical ,,baby ,,at #ah ,,months4
                                        
,,homo-,,culture2                       
,,or1                   ,,the           
,,improvement ,,of ,,offspring ,,through
                           ,,wiser      
,,generation4                           
,,by ,m4 ,l4 ,,holbrook1 ,m4 ,d41       
,,editor ,,of ,,the ,,journal ,,of      
,,hygiene1 ,,author ,,of ,,hygiene      
,,of ,,the ,,brain1 ,,how ,,to          
,,strengthen ,,the ,,memory1            
,,advantages ,,of ,,chastity1 ,,etc41   
,,etc4          ,a ,new ,edition of     
,stirpiculture1 ,enlarged and ,revised4 
,,new ,,york3                           
,m4 ,l4 ,,holbrook  ,,co4               

,,london3                           ,l4 
,n4 ,,fowler  ,,co4                     
#ahii4                                  
,copyright by                           
,m4 ,l4 ,holbrook4                      
#ahig4                       ,entered at
 ,stationers' ,hall4     ,,preface4     
,during all ages since man came to      
himself1 there have been enlightened    
ones seeking to improve the race4 ,the  
methods proposed have been various1 and 
in accordance with the knowledge and    
development of the time in which they   
have appeared4 ,some have believed that 
education and environment were          
all-sufficient2 others that abstinence  
from intoxicating drinks would suffice4 
,a very considerable number have held   
the idea that by prenatal culture alone 
the mother can mould her unborn child   
into any desired form4 ,the disciples of
 ,darwin1 many of them1 have held that  
natural and sexual selection have been  
the chief factors employed by nature to 
bring about race improvement4  ,no doubt

 all these factors have been more or    
less effectual1 but the time has come   
for man to take special interest in his 
own evolution1 to study and apply1 so   
far as possible1 all the factors that   
will in any way promote race            
improvement4 ,in the past this has not  
been done4 ,we are not yet able to do it
 perfectly1 our knowledge is too        
deficient1 lack of interest is too      
universal1 but we can make a beginning2 
greater thoughtfulness may be given to  
suitable marriages2 improved environment
 may be secured2 better hygienic        
conditions taken advantage of2 food may 
be improved2 the knowledge we have      
gained in improving animals and plants1 
so far as applicable1 may aid us2 air1  
exercise1 water1 employment1 social     
conditions1 wealth and poverty1 prenatal
 conditions1 all have an influence on   
offspring1 and man should be able1 to   
some extent1 to make them all tell to   
the advantage of future generations4    
,whatever the conditions of existence1  

man is able by his intellect to modify  
and improve them1 and make them         
favorably serve unborn children4        
,herbert ,spencer says3 ,on observing   
what energies are expended by father and
 mother to attain worldly successes and 
fulfil social ambition1 we are reminded 
how relatively small is the space       
occupied by their ambition to make their
 descendants physically1 morally and    
intellectually superior4 ,yet this is   
the ambition which will replace those   
they now so eagerly pursue1 and which1  
instead of perpetual disappointments1   
will bring permanent satisfactions4  ,if
 the chapters included in this volume   
should help to arouse in the minds of   
readers1 and especially the younger     
portion of them1 some healthy feelings  
relating to the improvement of offspring
 it will have fulfilled its aim4  ,two  
of them have been given as lectures     
before societies1 the main object of    
which was the discussion of subjects    
bearing on evolution and human progress1

 and they are included in this volume   
because they have a close relation to   
the main subject1 but the others were   
written especially for this work4       
,while there may appear in a few cases a
 slight amount of repetition1 the author
 trusts the reader will not consider it 
as unpardonable4  ,with these few words 
,i send the work on its mission hoping  
it will bear good fruit4                
,m4 ,l4 ,h4     ,,contents4             
,,stirpiculture4                        
,page4      ,plato's ,restrictions on   
,parentage2 ,lycurgan ,laws2 ,plutarch  
on the ,training of ,children2          
,infanticide ,among the ,greeks2        
,group ,marriage2 ,making ,children the 
,property of the ,state2      ,grecian  
,methods ,not ,suitable to ,our ,time2  
,sexual ,selection2      ,difficulties  
in the ,way2 ,an ,experiment in         
,stirpiculture2      ,intermarriage2    
,woman's ,selective ,action2 ,man's and 
,woman's      ,co-operation2 ,the       
,individual's ,rights2 ,spiritual       

,sympathy in      ,marriage2            
#i   ,,prenatal ,,culture4              
,jacob's ,flocks2 ,an ,illustrative     
,case2 ,beliefs of ,primitive           
,peoples2 ,birthmarks ,rare2 ,why       
,children ,resemble ,parents2           
,life's ,experiences ,affecting ,child2 
,germ-plasm2 ,congenital                
,deformities2 ,psychical ,diseases2     
,telegony2 ,power of ,heredity2         
,sobriety in the ,father2 ,sacredness of
 ,parentage2 ,self-control2   #ee       
,,heredity ,,and ,,education4           
,theories2 ,continuity of the           
,germ-plasm2 ,a ,rational ,view      of 
,heredity2 ,heredity and the ,education 
of ,children2      ,intellectual        
,acquirements2 ,instinct2 ,knowledge or 
,heredity2      ,individuality2 ,spectre
 of ,heredity2                          
#ajj   ,,evolution',s ,,hopeful         
,,promise ,,for ,a ,,healthier ,,race4  
,sexual ,selection2 ,human ,selection2  
,natural ,selection2      ,conflict     
between ,evolutionary ,theories and our 

,humane      ,sentiments2 ,ideal of     
,health2 ,adaptation to ,environment2   
,knowledge2 ,effects of ,living at ,high
 ,pressure2 ,girls in                   
,manufacturing ,districts2              
,co-operation3 an ,example2 ,hygiene2   
#acj   ,,the ,,germ-,,plasm2 ,,its      
,,relation ,,to ,,offspring4       ,what
 is the ,germ-plasm8 ,the ,primitive    
,egg2 ,fertilization of      the        
,mother-cell ,necessary to ,produce     
,true ,germ-plasm2 ,what                
,fertilization ,does2 ,its ,process2    
,helps to ,explain ,heredity2           
,health of the ,germ-plasm ,necessary in
 ,stirpiculture2 ,surplus      ,vitality
 ,necessary for ,producing the ,best    
,children2 ,duncan's      ,statistics as
 to ,ages of ,parents of ,finest        
,children2 ,effects      of ,alcohol on 
,offspring2 ,food and the ,germ-plasm2  
,effect      of ,air and ,water on      
,germ-plasm2 ,effect of ,diseases on    
,germ-plasm2 ,every ,child ,born an     
,experiment2                     #afb   

,,fewer ,,and ,,better ,,children4      
,darwin's ,opinions2 ,race              
,modifications by ,natural ,selection2  
,grant ,allen's ,views2 ,spencer's      
,views on ,parental ,duties2            
,limiting ,offspring ,among the ,natives
 of ,uganda2 ,the ,fijians2             
,children of ,large ,families often     
,superior to those in ,small            
,families2 ,some ,reasons for this2     
#agi   ,a ,,theoretical ,,baby4         
,our ,first ,baby2 ,we had ,theories2   
,what ,some of ,them ,were2 ,my         
,wife's ,love for ,me2 ,my ,sentiments2 
,the ,child's ,easy ,birth2             
,mother's ,rapid ,convalescence2 ,the   
,child's ,first ,bath2      ,forming    
,good ,habits ,early2 ,no ,crying at    
,night2 ,never ,rocked      to ,sleep2  
,his ,bed2 ,keeping the ,stomach and    
,bowels ,right2      ,colic1            
,irritability and the ,necessity for    
,diapers      ,eliminated2 ,number of   
,meals ,daily2 ,the ,infant's ,clothing2
 ,at      ,one ,year ,old2 ,teething    

,gives ,little ,trouble2 ,requires      
,considerable ,water2 ,learning to      
,creep1 ,stand1 ,walk and ,talk      by 
,his ,own ,efforts2 ,invents ,his ,own  
,amusements2      ,companionship ,with  
,parents2 ,mothering2 ,learning         
,self-control2 ,obedience2 ,playmates2  
#ahd       ,notes                       
#aii     ,,stirpiculture4   ,natural    
selection1 which is the central doctrine
 of ,darwinism1 has been explained as   
the survival of the fittest4 ,on this   
process has depended the progress       
observable throughout organic nature to 
which the term evolution is applied2    
for1 although there has been from time  
to time degradation1 that is1 a         
retrogression1 this has had relation    
only to particular forms1 organic life  
as a whole evidencing progress towards  
perfection4 ,when man appeared as the   
culmination of evolution under          
terrestrial conditions1 natural         
selection would seem almost to have     
finished its work1 which was taken up1  

however1 by man himself1 who was able by
 artificial selection to secure results 
similar to those which ,nature had      
attained4 ,this is true especially in   
relation to animals1 the domestication  
of which has always been practiced by   
man1 even while in a state of nature4   
,domestication is primarily a psychical 
process1 but it is attended with        
physical changes consequent on          
confinement and variation in food and   
habits4 ,this alone would hardly        
account1 however1 for the great number  
of varieties among animals that have    
been long domesticated1 and it is       
probable that actual stirpiculture has  
been practiced from very early times4   
,this term is derived from the ,latin   
stirpis1 a stock or race1 and cultus1   
culture or cultivation1 and it means1   
therefore1 the cultivation of a stock or
 race1 although it has come to be used  
in the sense of the breeding of         
offspring1 and particularly of human    
offspring4 ,it is evident1 however1 that

 in relation to man this is too         
restricted a sense1 and it must be      
extended so as to embrace as well the   
rearing and training as the breeding of 
children1 in fact1 cultivation in its   
widest sense1 in which is always implied
 the idea of improvement4               
,stirpiculture in this extended sense   
was not unknown to the ancients1 both in
 theory and in practice4 ,as to the     
former1 the most noted example is that  
of ,plato1 who1 in his ,republic1       
proposed certain arrangements as to     
marriage and the bringing up of children
 which he thought would improve the     
race1 and hence be beneficial to the    
,state4 ,the ,state was to ,plato all in
 all1 and he considered that it should  
form one great family4 ,this idea could 
not be carried into effect1 however1 so 
long as independent families existed1   
and therefore those arrangements had for
 one of their chief aims the abolition  
of what we regard as family life4 ,this 
,plato thought was the best for the     

,state1 and the advantage which was     
supposed to accrue to it by the absence 
of separate families is expressed in a  
marginal note1 which says3 ,there will  
be no private interests among them1 and 
therefore no lawsuits or trials for     
assault or violence to elders4          
,,plato',s ,,restrictions ,,on          
,,parentage4--,the end would hardly seem
 to justify the means1 in these days1 at
 least1 when violence to elders is an   
uncommon incident2 but how was the      
community of wives and children by which
 it was sought to be attained to be     
brought about8 ,it is said1 ,the best of
 either sex should be united with the   
best as often1 and the inferior with the
 inferior as seldom1 as possible4 ,thus 
the people were to be classified into   
best and inferior1 and while the former 
were to be brought together as often as 
possible1 the latter were not to be     
united at all if it could be avoided4   
,there was no question of marriage in   
either case4 ,in the one1 the union was 

for the purpose of obtaining children1  
and in the other for the simple         
gratification of the passions2 for only 
the offspring of the union between the  
sexes in the best class were to be      
reared4 ,the children of the inferior   
class were not to be reared1 if the     
flock is to be maintained in first-class
 condition4 ,this infanticide would     
matter little to the parents1 as they   
had no control over their coming        
together1 nor concern with the rearing  
of their offspring4 ,lots were to be    
drawn by the less worthy on each        
occasion of their being brought         
together4 ,this was that they might     
accuse their ill-luck and not the       
rulers1 in case their partners were not 
to their liking4 ,the ,state was to     
provide not only what men and women were
 to be sexually united1 but the ages    
within which this was to be permitted   
for the purpose of obtaining offspring4 
,for a woman1 the beginning of          
childbearing for the ,state was fixed at

 twenty years of age1 and it was to     
continue until forty4 ,for men1 the     
period of procreation is said to be     
between twenty-five and fifty-five years
 of age4 ,after the specified ages men  
and women were to be allowed to range at
 will1 except within certain prescribed 
degrees1 but on the understanding that  
no children born to such unions were to 
be reared4 ,it is evident that under    
such a system the actual relationship   
between the members of the ,state family
 could be known only to its rulers2 but 
to provide against the union of persons 
too nearly related by blood1 all those  
who were begotten at the time their     
fathers and mothers came together were  
regarded as brothers and sisters4 ,but  
even brothers and sisters might be      
united if the lot favors them1 and they 
receive the sanction of the ,pythian    
oracle4 ,thus far for the breeding of   
children laid down in ,plato's          
,republic4 ,as to the rearing of them1  
we need only say that the children      

allowed to live were to be placed in the
 custody of guardians1 to be appointed  
by the ,state from among the most worthy
 of either sex1 who were to bring them  
up in accordance with the principles of 
virtue4  ,the idea which formed the     
basis of the regulations as to marriage 
in the ,republic was carried into       
practice by ,lycurgus in his government 
of ,sparta4 ,we are told by ,plutarch in
 his ,lives1 that ,lycurgus considered  
children not so much the property of    
their parents as of the ,state1 and     
therefore he could not have them        
begotten by ordinary persons1 but by the
 best men in it4 ,but he did not attempt
 to break up the private family1 as was 
proposed by ,plato4 ,he sought rather to
 enlarge its boundaries by allowing the 
introduction of a fresh paternal element
 when this could be done with advantage 
to the ,state4 ,thus1 he approved of a  
man in years introducing to his young   
wife a handsome and honest young man1   
that she might bear a child by him4     

,moreover1 if a man of character became 
impassioned of a married woman on       
account of her honesty and beautiful    
children1 he might treat with her       
husband for the loan of her1 that so    
planting in a beauty-bearing soil1 he   
might produce excellent children1 the   
congenial offspring of excellent        
parents4 ,the principles which          
influenced ,lycurgus were the same as   
those sought to be applied by ,plato1   
although in a different way4 ,plutarch  
says1 ,he observed the vanity and       
absurdity of other nations1 where people
 study to have their horses and dogs of 
the finest breed they can procure1      
either by interest or money1 and yet    
keep their wives shut up1 that they may 
have children by none but themselves1   
though they may happen to be doting1    
decrepid or infirm4 ,hence ,lycurgus    
sought to drive away the passion of     
jealousy by making it quite as reputable
 to have children in common with persons
 of merit1 as to avoid all offensive    

freedom in their own behaviour to their 
wives4   ,,lycurgan ,,laws4--,according 
to ,plutarch1 the regulations enforced  
by ,lycurgus1 so far from encouraging   
licentiousness of the women1 such as    
afterwards prevailed in ,sparta1 did    
just the reverse1 as adultery was not   
known among them4 ,that the system was  
beneficial to the ,state by tending to  
secure healthy offspring is probable2   
but ,lycurgus took other means of       
bringing about this result4 ,his        
requiring girls to dance naked in public
 was intended to teach them modesty4    
,but we are told further3 ,he ordered   
the virgins to exercise themselves in   
running1 wrestling and throwing quoits  
and darts1 that their bodies being      
strong and vigorous1 the children       
produced by them might be the same2 and 
that1 thus fortified by exercise1 they  
might the better support the pangs of   
childbirth1 and be delivered with       
safety4 ,moreover1 he provided against  
the propagation of disease and          

deformation by directing that only such 
children should be reared as passed     
examination by the most ancient men of  
the tribe4 ,if a child were strong and  
well-proportioned1 they gave orders for 
its education and assigned it one of the
 nine thousand shares of land4 ,thus    
infanticide was a recognized part of the
 ,spartan system1 as it was in that of  
,plato4 ,the elders of the tribe were   
very careful about the nurses to whom   
the children were assigned4 ,when seven 
years old1 the children were enrolled in
 companies1 where they were all kept    
under the same order and discipline1 and
 had their exercises and recreations in 
common4 ,the boy of best conduct and    
courage was made captain1 and their     
whole education was one of obedience4   
,as for learning1 ,plutarch says they   
had just what was absolutely necessary2 
and certainly it was not such as could  
be recommended for imitation in these   
days4  ,xenophon1 in his essay on ,the  
,lacedemonian ,republic1 adds little to 

what ,plutarch tells us with reference  
to the marriage regulations of          
,lycurgus4 ,he remarks1 however1 that   
marriage was not allowed until the body 
was in full strength1 as this was       
conducive to the procreation of a robust
 and manly offspring4 ,he affirms1 also1
 that those who were allowed by         
arrangement to associate with other     
men's wives were men who had an aversion
 to living with a wife of their own6    
,,plutarch ,,on ,,the ,,training ,,of   
,,children4--,in his ,morals1 ,plutarch 
gives a dissertation on the training of 
children1 the first portion of which    
deals with stirpiculture in the limited 
sense of the term1 but is very          
inadequate4 ,indeed1 the only advice he 
gives is that a man should not keep     
company with harlots or concubines1     
because children by them are blemished  
in their birth by their base extraction2
 and that no man should keep company    
with his wife for issue's sake but when 
he is sober1 lest he beget a drunkard4  

,the main portion of ,plutarch's        
treatise is concerned with the education
 of children1 which is the second part  
of stirpiculture as a system of complete
 cultivation4 ,introductory to the      
subject of education he speaks of       
nursing1 to which he attaches much      
importance4 ,plutarch insists on the    
necessity of mothers nursing their own  
children2 nature1 by providing them with
 two breasts1 showing them that they can
 nurse even twins4 ,but if they cannot1 
they are to choose the best nurses they 
can get1 and such as are bred after the 
,greek fashion4 ,for1 as it is needful  
that the members of children should be  
shaped aright as soon as they are born1 
that they may not afterwards prove      
crooked and distorted1 so it is no less 
expedient that their manners be well    
fashioned from the very beginning2 for  
childhood is a tender thing1 and easily 
wrought into any shape4  ,after         
referring to the importance of the      
choice of good companions for a child1  

,plutarch proceeds to consider the      
question of education1 which he speaks  
of as the matter of most concern4 ,as to
 education in general1 he points out    
that a concurrence of three things is   
necessary to the completing of virtue in
 practice1 which is the aim of that     
process1 that is3 ,nature1 reason or    
learning1 and use or exercise2 ,for1 if 
nature be not improved by instruction1  
it is blind2 if instruction be not      
assisted by nature1 it is maimed2 and if
 exercise fail of the assistance of     
both1 it is imperfect as to the         
attainment of its end4 ,there cannot be 
instruction--a term which is here used  
as equivalent to education1 although the
 latter has a wider signification than  
the former1 and being equivalent to     
mental cultivation1--without a teacher1 
and ,plutarch says well1 we are to look 
after such masters for our children as  
are blameless in their lives1 not justly
 reprovable for their manners1 and of   
the best experience in teaching4 ,for   

the very spring and root of honesty and 
virtue lies in the felicity of lighting 
on good education4 ,he is1 indeed1 so   
much impressed with its value that he   
affirms3 ,the one chief thing in this   
matter--which compriseth the beginning1 
middle and end of all--is good education
 and regular instruction4 ,these two    
afford great help and assistance towards
 the attainment of virtue and felicity4 
,he adds3 ,learning alone1 of all things
 in our possession1 is immortal and     
divine4  ,plutarch dwells on various    
other matters connected with education  
better fitted for his times than ours1  
but he refers to the importance of      
example in words that are deserving of  
careful consideration4 ,he says3 ,the   
chiefest thing that fathers are to look 
to is1 that they themselves become      
effectual examples to their children1 by
 doing all those things which belong to 
them1 and avoiding all vicious          
practices1 that in their lives1 as in a 
glass1 their children may see enough to 

give them an aversion to all ill words  
and actions4 ,for those that chide      
children for such faults as they        
themselves fall into unconsciously      
accuse themselves1 under their          
children's names4 ,and if they are      
altogether vicious in their own lives1  
they lose the right of reprehending     
their very servants1 and much more do   
they forfeit it to their sons4 4 4 4 4  
,wherefore we are to apply our minds to 
all such practices as may conduce to the
 good breeding of our children4  ,it is 
not improbable that the marriage        
regulations ascribed to ,lycurgus were  
based on institutions already in        
existence among the ,spartans4 ,from the
 statement of ,polybius1 that the       
brothers of a house often had one wife  
between them1 it has been inferred that 
in ,sparta the ,tibetan form of         
polyandry was practiced4 ,according to  
,plutarch1 another curious marriage     
custom prevailed1 showing that the      
,spartans1 who differed in various      

respects from other ,greeks1 had        
retained primitive habits4 ,thus1 the   
bridegroom carried off the bride by     
violence1 and for some time after this  
marriage by capture he visited her with 
great caution and apprehension of being 
discovered by the rest of the family2   
the bride at the same time exerted all  
her art to contrive convenient          
opportunities for their private         
meetings4 ,and this they did1 not for a 
short time only1 but some of them even  
had children before they had an         
interview with their wives in the       
daytime6 ,this custom had much in common
 with the sadica marriages of the early 
,arabs1 who1 as we are told by          
,professor ,robertson ,smith1 allowed a 
woman1 while she remained with her own  
tribe1 to receive the clandestine visits
 of a lover4 ,her offspring were        
recognized as legitimate and became     
members of the tribe4 ,the incident of  
capture could not occur1 as it was a    
general custom in ancient ,arabia for a 

husband to live among his wife's        
kinsfolk4   ,,infanticide ,,among ,,the 
,,greeks4--,the practice of infanticide1
 which was the only mode by which       
,lycurgus1 or even ,plato in his        
imaginary republic1 could really insure 
the existence of a healthy and vigorous 
population1 was undoubtedly a survival  
from primitive times4 ,the sacredness of
 infant life is the result of the high  
moral tone which has accompanied the    
spread of ,christianity2 and it may be  
said to be almost unknown outside of the
 ,christian era4 ,various reasons are   
assigned by different peoples for the   
practice of infanticide2 but one cause  
universally operative is the objection  
to rearing malformed or unhealthy       
offspring4 ,savages adopt various modes 
of improving1 according to their ideas1 
the physical appearance of their        
children4 ,giving the proper form to the
 nose is considered a very important    
matter by the native ,australian mother 
and by the ,polynesian ,islanders2 as1  

indeed1 it was by the ancient ,persians1
 among whom the molding of the nose to  
the proper curve was essential1         
especially in the royal family4 ,the    
flat head of the ,american ,indian of   
the northwest coast was at one time     
considered a beauty1 and was restricted 
to the members of the tribe1 slaves not 
being allowed to undergo the necessary  
head compression4 ,the small artificial 
foot of the ,chinese lady is another    
case in point4 ,but however much the    
physical appearance might be altered1 no
 effect could thus be made in the       
general physique of the race4 ,the most 
easy way of keeping this up to a proper 
standard is to destroy all the infants  
that possess physical defects2 and such 
a course is adopted by many savages1    
although it is by no means the most     
influential cause of infanticide4       
,,group ,,marriage4--,a remarkable      
system of relationships1 with which is  
combined a series of regulations framed 
with the object of pointing out what    

persons are entitled to enter into the  
marital relation1 is found to be        
prevalent in nearly all uncivilized     
peoples4 ,the members of a tribe are    
divided into two or more groups1 each of
 which consists of persons who are      
nearly related by blood1 and who are    
forbidden1 therefore1 to intermarry4    
,one of the tribes of ,central          
,australia1 the ,dieyerie1 has a legend 
which explains the marriage system      
common to them and to all the other     
tribes1 as being intended to prevent the
 evil effects of intermarriage between  
persons very near of kin4 ,the story is 
valuable as showing the opinion         
entertained by savages as to the effect 
on the race of breeding in and in--a    
subject to which we may have occasion to
 make further reference4 ,dr4 ,j4 ,f4   
,mc,lennan and other writers on         
primitive marriage refer to the practice
 among certain civilized peoples of     
antiquity of what we regard as          
incestuous marriage1 in support of the  

view that in the early history of       
mankind intercourse between the sexes   
was promiscuous4#ba3;,a ,such an        
explanation is entirely uncalled for1   
however1 as the custom was intended to  
secure purity of blood1 that is1 blood  
of a particular line of ancestors4 ,such
 marriages were known only to a few     
peoples1 and they were evidently of     
comparatively late origin4 ,whether the 
purity of blood was attended with       
improvement of the stock may be doubted2
 as1 whatever may have been the actual  
origin of the marriage regulations of   
the numerous peoples among whom the     
classificatory system of relationship is
 established1 they are intended1 without
 question1 to prevent the intermarriage 
of persons who are regarded as near     
blood relations1 the general disapproval
 of which must have had some sufficient 
reason1 or1 at all events1 must have    
originated in ideas supposed to furnish 
good grounds for it4   ,,making         
,,children ,,the ,,property ,,of ,,the  

,,state4--,the principles which were    
embodied in the scheme proposed by      
,plato1 in his ,republic1 to bring about
 an improvement in the race are mainly  
two3 ,first1 restriction on the         
formation of procreative unions2 second1
 infanticide4 ,the breaking up of       
private or separate families necessarily
 resulted from the operation of his     
marriage regulations1 and was intended  
to emphasize the idea which ,plato1 like
 ,lycurgus1 insisted on1 that the       
children belonged to the ,state4        
,lycurgus sought to enforce the same    
idea by allowing wives to have          
intercourse with other men than their   
husbands1 thus making children common in
 some sense1 while retaining the        
separate family intact4 ,thus he        
introduced1 or rather it should be said1
 established a modified form of         
polyandrous marriage2 ,plato's system1  
on the other hand1 being one of mere    
pairing1 as in the breeding of animals4 
,in either case the union of very near  

relations was not permitted1 that is1   
between brother and sister1 or parent   
and child4 ,yet ,lycurgus allowed       
marriage between a half-brother and     
sister by the same mother4 ,curiously   
enough1 this was forbidden by the       
,athenian law1 which permitted a brother
 and sister by the same father only to  
intermarry4 ,the ,greek rule1 as laid   
down in ,smith's ,dictionary of ,greek  
and ,roman ,antiquities1 was that       
proximity of blood or consanguinity was 
not1 with some few exceptions1 a bar to 
marriage1 although direct lineal descent
 was so4 ,moreover1 there was no attempt
 to enforce consanguineous marriages1 so
 as to ensure purity of blood1 such as  
was customary among the ,incas of ,peru1
 the laws of which required that the    
oldest son and daughter of the sovereign
 should intermarry because the ,incas   
were descended from the ,sun1 and the   
,sun had married his sister the ,moon1  
and had united in marriage his two first
 children6 ,a more practical reason was 

found in the rule that the kingdom      
should be inherited through both        
parents4 ,hence it was not permitted to 
mix the blood of the ,sun1 or rather of 
those who claimed solar descent1 with   
that of men4   ,,grecian ,,methods ,,not
 ,,suitable ,,to ,,our ,,time4--,it is  
evident that the principles which       
governed the ancients in their endeavors
 to improve the race are not capable of 
application at the present day1 under   
the conditions of modern civilization4  
,instead of placing further restrictions
 on marriage1 the tendency now is to    
loosen those which have hitherto        
existed1 although certain regulations1  
such as relate to age1 consent1 etc41   
are recognized as necessary for the     
interests of the ,state4 ,moreover1     
greater facilities are given than were  
formerly allowed for dissolving         
ill-assorted unions1 thus getting rid of
 the excuse for the formation of        
irregular connections4 ,nevertheless1   
the interests of neither society at     

large nor of individuals will permit of 
the introduction of the temporary or    
occasional pairing system1 which is a   
return to an animal state1 and1         
therefore1 not worthy of the dignity    
implied in the term1 marriage1 and which
 is inconsistent with true family life4 
,it would be liable to all kinds of     
abuse1 and would become1 in most cases1 
a legalized system of prostitution1 thus
 dragging society down to a lower level 
instead of raising it1 and tending to   
the deterioration1 instead of the       
improvement1 of the race1 if not to its 
extinction4 ,as to infanticide1 this    
certainly would not be tolerated by     
public opinion1 although it is now      
largely resorted to under the guise of  
abortion4 ,to legalize child-killing    
under any circumstances would be to     
offer a premium for murder1 even if it  
were permitted only with the express    
sanction in every case of the officials 
of the ,state4 ,there is now no         
justification for such a course1 as the 

education of those who appear to be on a
 mental level with the animals has been 
carried so far that the term idiot may  
soon have to be dropped from our        
vocabulary4  ,it must be affirmed1      
however1 that the whole subject of the  
improvement of the race was dealt with  
by ,plato1 and1 indeed1 by the ancients 
generally1 in a very crude and          
superficial manner4 ,this has been well 
pointed out by ,professor ,b4 ,jowett in
 the ,introduction to his translation of
 ,plato's ,republic4 ,professor ,jowett 
objects generally that the great error  
in the speculations of ,plato and others
 on the improvement of the race is1 that
 the difference between men and the     
animals is forgotten in them4 ,the human
 being is regarded with the eye of a dog
 or bird fancier1 or at best of a slave 
owner2 the higher or human qualities are
 left out4 ,the breeder of animals aims 
chiefly at size or speed or strength2 in
 a few cases1 at courage and temper2    
most often the fitness of the animal for

 food is the greatest desideratum4 ,but 
mankind are not bred to be eaten1 nor   
yet for their superiority in fighting or
 in running or in drawing carts4 ,nor   
does the improvement of the human race  
consist merely in the increase of the   
bones and flesh1 but in the growth and  
enlightenment of the mind4 ,hence there 
must be a marriage of true minds as well
 as of bodies2 of imagination and reason
 as well as of lusts and instincts4 ,men
 and women without feeling or           
imagination are justly called brutes2   
yet ,plato takes away these qualities   
and puts nothing in their place1 not    
even the desire of a noble offspring1   
since parents are not to know their own 
children4 ,the most important           
transaction of social life he who is the
 idealist philosopher converts into the 
most brutal4 ,for the pair are to have  
no relation to each other but at the    
hymeneal festival2 their children are   
not theirs1 but the ,state's2 nor is any
 tie of affection to unite them4 ,yet   

the analogy of the animals might have   
saved ,plato from a gigantic error if he
 had not lost sight of his own          
illustration6 ,for the nobler sort of   
birds and beasts nourish and protect    
their offspring and are faithful to one 
another6 ,it is certainly surprising1 as
 ,jowett says1 that the greatest of     
ancient philosophers should1 in his     
marriage regulations1 have fallen into  
the error of separating body and mind4  
,he did so probably through a false     
notion of the antagonism between the    
family and the ,state1 and hence1 as    
,lycurgus did not aim at destroying     
family life he escaped that error4  ,and
 yet there is nothing to show that the  
marriage regulations of ,lycurgus had   
any real effect on the children of the  
,state4 ,that the early ,spartans were a
 hardy and courageous people is         
undoubtedly true2 but apart from the    
practice of infanticide1 which would    
necessarily get rid of the weak1 their  
character and conduct can be explained  

by reference merely to the system of    
training1 both of youth and maidens1    
which ,lycurgus rigidly enforced4       
,lacedemon was essentially a military   
republic1 and its rulers aimed to breed 
soldiers1 rather than men in the noble  
sense in which the term man is now used4
 ,indeed1 there is nothing to show that 
any compulsory attempt to improve the   
race has ever been successful1 apart    
from the effect which the destruction of
 feeble and deformed offspring may have1
 and the influence of the severe        
training of those who are allowed to    
survive4  ,nevertheless1 the human race 
has vastly improved since its first     
appearance on the earth1 if the         
teachings of the doctrine of evolution  
are true and applicable to man as well  
as to the inferior animals4 ,the passage
 from the native ,australian to the     
,european is a long one1 and yet they   
are supposed to represent a common      
primitive stock4 ,the steps by which the
 ,european has been gradually developed1

 with his special characteristics1      
cannot now be traced2 but one of the    
chief agencies to which the result is   
due is that to which ,darwin applied the
 term1 sexual selection4 ,as natural    
selection has relation to adaptation1   
and its aim is the survival of the      
fittest1 so sexual selection has        
reference to beauty1 and its object is  
the perpetuation of the most beautiful1 
according to the taste of the peoples   
practicing it4 ,darwin was the first to 
point out the importance of sexual      
selection for certain purposes which1 as
 stated by ,professor ,g4 ,j4 ,romanes1 
in his ,darwin and after ,darwin1#bh3;,a
 have no reference to utility or the    
preservation of life4 ,the latter writer
 in treating of the subject affirms it  
is universally admitted that the higher 
animals do not pair indiscriminately1   
the members of either sex preferring    
those individuals of the opposite sex   
which are to them most attractive4 ,many
 birds and certain mammals clearly      

display the esthetic sense1 which is    
shown by the former particularly in the 
adorning of their nests with colored    
objects2 and it is reflected in the     
personal appearance of the animals      
themselves4 ,during the pairing season1 
birds take on their most brilliant      
plumage1 and the males take great pains 
to exhibit their charms before the      
females1 actively competing with one    
another in so doing4 ,there is similar  
rivalry among song birds1 who strive to 
see which can best please the females by
 their singing4   ,,sexual              
,,selection4--,professor ,romanes1 after
 referring to those facts1 which are    
considered in detail by his great       
predecessor1 states the theory of sexual
 selection as follows3 ,there can be no 
question that the courtship of birds is 
a highly elaborate business1 in which   
the males do their best to surpass one  
another in charming the females4        
,obviously the inference is that the    
males do not take all this trouble for  

nothing2 but that the females give their
 consent to pair with the males whose   
personal appearance1 or whose voice1    
proves to be the most attractive4 ,but1 
if so1 the young of the male bird who is
 thus selected will inherit his superior
 beauty2 and thus1 in successive        
generations1 a continuous advance will  
be made in the beauty of plumage or of  
song1 as the case may be1--both the     
origin and development of beauty in the 
animal world being thus supposed due to 
the esthetic taste of the animals       
themselves4  ,it is not necessary to    
refer particularly to the evidence in   
support of the theory of sexual         
selection4 ,there can be no doubt that  
it is a most important factor in the    
perpetuation and increase of certain    
characters1 those which come within the 
category of beautiful1 the very         
existence of which proves them to be    
beneficial to the stock to which the    
animals exhibiting them belong4 ,the    
fundamental fact is that they have the  

effect of charming the females into a   
performance of the sexual act2 an       
opinion which is supported by the more  
general fact that both among quadrupeds 
and birds1 individuals of the one sex   
are capable of feeling a strong         
antipathy against1 or a strong          
preference for1 certain individuals of  
the opposite sex4  ,these statements are
 applicable also to man1 with whom the  
principle of sexual selection must have 
been influential to at least the same   
degree as among the lower animals4 ,it  
may be expected1 indeed1 to be more     
influential1 as the esthetic taste with 
which it is associated becomes more     
highly developed with man than with any 
member of the animal kingdom4 ,even here
 it is not a question of mere           
coloration4 ,the theory of sexual       
selection as framed by ,darwin is       
concerned1 as ,romanes points out1 not  
so much with color itself as with the   
particular disposition of color in the  
form of ornamental patterns4 ,these have

 a kind of structural value1 and certain
 birds1 moreover1 possess actual        
structural peculiarities1 such as       
ornamental appendages to the beak1 the  
only use of which would appear to be to 
charm the female during courtship4 ,we  
may suppose1 therefore1 that sexual     
selection has affected not merely what  
may be termed the superficial characters
 of man1 but to some extent1 at least1  
those which have a structural value4    
,the principle of sexual selection is   
applicable primarily to the             
characteristics of the male2 but ,darwin
 supposes them to have been transferred 
to the other sex1 and through them      
transmitted to the race generally4 ,in  
his ,descent of ,man1 he remarks of the 
actual influence over the race of that  
principle3 ,the nervous system not only 
regulates most of the existing functions
 of the body1 but has indirectly        
influenced the progressive development  
of various bodily structures and of     
certain mental qualities4 ,courage1     

pugnacity1 perseverance1 size and       
strength of body1 weapons of all kinds1 
musical organs1 both vocal and          
instrumental1 bright colours and        
ornamental appendages have all been     
indirectly gained by the one sex or the 
other1 through the exertion of choice1  
the influence of love and jealousy1 and 
the appropriation of the beautiful in   
sound1 colour or form2 and these powers 
of the mind manifestly depend on the    
development of the brain4  ,that sexual 
selection has actually resulted in      
modification of human physical          
structure1 ,darwin thinks can be shown  
by reference to the ancient ,persians1  
whose type was greatly improved by      
intermarriage with the beautiful        
,georgian and ,circassian women4 ,he    
refers to several similar cases1 and    
particularly to the ,jollofs of ,west   
,africa1 whose handsome appearance is   
said to be due to their retaining for   
wives only their most beautiful slaves1 
the others being sold4  ,sexual         

selection may be operative for the      
improvement of the race through the     
action of either man or woman1 and the  
conditions of its activity are different
 in either case4 ,as to the action of   
man1 ,darwin says in relation to        
primitive peoples3 ,the strongest and   
most vigorous men--those who could best 
defend and hunt for their families1 who 
were provided with the best weapons and 
possessed the most property1 such as a  
large number of dogs or other           
animals--would succeed in rearing a     
greater average number of offspring than
 the weaker and poorer members of the   
same tribe4 ,there can1 also1 be no     
doubt that such men would generally be  
able to select the more attractive      
women4 ,at present1 the chiefs of nearly
 every tribe throughout the world       
succeed in obtaining more than one wife4
  ,with reference to selection by the   
women1 ,darwin shows that among savages 
they have much more to say in their     
marriages than is usually supposed4 ,he 

remarks3 ,they can tempt the men they   
prefer1 and can sometimes reject those  
whom they dislike1 either before or     
after their marriage4 ,preference on the
 part of the women1 steadily acting in  
any one direction1 would ultimately     
affect the character of the tribe1 for  
the women would generally choose1 not   
merely the handsomest men1 according to 
their standard of taste1 but those who  
were at the same time best able to      
defend and support them4 ,such          
well-endowed pairs would commonly rear a
 larger number of offspring than the    
less favored4 ,darwin adds3 ,the same   
result would obviously follow in a still
 more marked manner if there were       
selection on both sides1 that is1 if the
 more attractive1 and at the same time  
more powerful men were to prefer1 and   
were preferred by1 the more attractive  
women4 ,and this double form of         
selection seems actually to have        
occurred1 especially during the earlier 
periods of our long history4  ,the      

investigations of ,darwin as to the     
operation of sexual selection had       
reference chiefly to the modification of
 physical characters4 ,he did not       
altogether lose sight1 however1 of its  
possible influence in affecting for the 
better the mental characteristics of the
 race4 ,he concludes his enquiry by the 
remark that ,man might by selection do  
something1 not only for the bodily      
constitution and frame of his offspring1
 but for their intellectual and moral   
qualities4 ,both sexes ought to refrain 
from marriage if they are in any marked 
degree inferior in body or mind2 but    
such hopes are ,utopian1 and will never 
be even partially realized until the    
laws of inheritance are thoroughly      
known4 ,every one does good service who 
aids towards this end4  ,it is in the   
application of the principle of sexual  
selection to the mental characteristics 
of man1 that any real improvement of the
 race1 viewed as consisting of human    
beings and not of mere animals1 must be 

brought about4 ,beauty of physical form 
and feature is of importance in human   
relations only so far as it is          
associated with beauty of mind and      
character1 that is1 with high           
intellectual and moral attainments4     
,that these often go together is true1  
but it is not always the case4 ,grant   
,allen says3 ,to be sound in wind and   
limb2 to be healthy of body and mind2 to
 be educated2 to be emancipated2 to be  
free1 to be beautiful--these things are 
ends towards which all should strive1   
and by attaining which all are happier  
in themselves1 and more useful to       
others4 ,but physical and intellectual  
perfection are not always found         
together1 as was observed by ,darwin1   
when he mentioned among the causes which
 interfere with the physical action of  
sexual selection the fact that men are  
largely attracted by the mental charms  
of women4 ,professor ,jowett affirms    
truly that ,many of the noblest         
specimens of the human race have been   

among the weakest physically4 ,tyrtaens 
or ,a,esop1 or our own ,newton1 would   
have been destroyed at ,sparta1 and some
 of the fairest and strongest men and   
women have been among the wickedest and 
worst4 ,hence1 he properly infers that  
,not by the ,platonic device of uniting 
the strong and the fair with the strong 
and the fair1 regardless of sentiment   
and morality1 nor yet by his other      
device of combining dissimilar natures1 
have mankind gradually passed from the  
brutality and licentiousness of         
primitive marriage to marriage          
,christian and civilized4  ,the truth of
 this inference cannot be denied1       
because to leave out of view            
considerations of sentiment and morality
 would fatally vitiate any scheme for   
the improvement of the human race4 ,but 
,professor ,jowett affirms that1 ,we do 
not know how by artificial means any    
improvement in the breed can be         
effected4 ,the problem is no doubt a    
complex one4 ,as he points out1 a child 

has usually thirty progenitors only four
 steps back1 and whatever truth there   
may be in the inheritance of special    
physical characters1 ,we have a         
difficulty in distinguishing what is a  
true inheritance of genius or other     
qualities1 and what is mere imitation or
 the result of similar circumstances4   
,great men and great women have rarely  
had great fathers and mothers4          
,professor ,jowett thinks1 indeed1 that 
too much importance may be ascribed to  
heredity4 ,he says3 ,the doctrine of    
heredity may seem to take out of our    
hands the conduct of our lives1 but it  
is the idea1 not the fact1 which is     
really terrible to us4 ,for what we have
 received from our ancestors is only a  
fraction of what we are or may become4  
,the knowledge that drunkenness or      
insanity has been prevalent in a family 
may be the best safeguard against their 
recurrence in a future generation4 ,the 
parent will be most awake to the vices  
or diseases in his child of which he is 

most sensible within himself4 ,the whole
 of life may be directed to their       
prevention or cure4 ,the traces of      
corruption may become fainter1 or be    
wholly effaced2 the inherited tendency  
to vice and crime may be eradicated4    
,and so heredity1 from being a curse1   
may become a blessing4 ,we acknowledge  
that in the matter of our birth1 as in  
our nature generally1 there are previous
 circumstances which affect us4 ,but on 
this platform of circumstances1 or      
within this wall of necessity1 we have  
still the power of creating a life for  
availment by the reforming energy of the
 human will4  ,there is much truth in   
these remarks of ,professor ,jowett1 but
 they do not affect the argument in     
favor of the possibility of bringing    
about an improvement in the race if the 
proper means are adopted4 ,it would not 
be any wiser for the strong and healthy 
to marry with the sick and weak1 because
 the latter happen to be highly         
intellectual or moral1 than to marry    

with the strong and healthy if these    
physical characters are united with     
mental weakness or immorality4 ,there is
 a consensus of opinion at the present  
day1 that what should be aimed at is the
 union of physical perfection with that 
of intellect and character1 in the      
persuasion that steps towards this end  
will ultimately lead to the general     
improvement of the human race4          
,,difficulties ,,in ,,the ,,way4--,the  
difficulty is to devise and carry out   
some scheme for the purpose which shall 
be both feasible and agreeable to public
 sentiment4 ,the latter consideration   
would prevent any attempt at active     
stirpiculture under ,state direction1   
although the ,state might indirectly    
affect the result by subsidiary         
regulations as to marriage and training 
of children4 ,there is nothing1 however1
 to prevent the systematic efforts of   
private individuals1 and in such cases  
the causes which ,darwin cites as       
interfering with the physical action of 

sexual selection would not operate4 ,the
 most systematic experiment in          
stirpiculture of modern times was that  
originated by ,john ,humphrey ,noyes at 
the ,oneida ,community1 in central ,new 
,york1 from #ahfh to #ahgi4 ,a paper on 
this experiment was read by ,anita      
,newcomb ,mc,gee before the ,american   
,science ,association in ,august1 #ahia1
 which was published in ,the ,american  
,anthropologist1 #ahia1 and the         
following facts are taken from that     
paper4   ,,an ,,experiment ,,in         
,,stirpiculture4--,noyes was the founder
 of a religious sect1 the members of    
which1 owing to their desire for freedom
 from sin1 were called ,perfectionists4 
,holiness was the first principle of    
their creed1 and ,noyes thought to      
transmit that condition from one        
generation to another by a process of   
stirpiculture4 ,to overcome the         
selfishness of monogamic marriage he    
devised a system of regulated           
promiscuity1 beginning at earliest      

puberty1 and by a method of his own     
invention he separated the amative from 
the propagative functions4 ,its first   
principle was that of a judicious in and
 in breeding1 with occasional mingling  
of foreign blood1 as in stock-raising4  
,the second principle adopted was that  
of careful selection of individuals for 
breeding purposes4 ,genealogies were    
studied and medical histories compiled4 
,a committee1 headed by ,noyes1 selected
 the holiest members who were free from 
physical defects1 intellectual and other
 considerations being given less weight 
at first1 although in later years they  
received more consideration4 ,the       
parents were of all ages1 but the father
 was always older than the mother4 ,some
 sympathy between the persons mated was 
always required2 and if a proposition   
for union came from two individuals it  
was allowed if no objections were found4
 ,noyes held that uncle and niece are as
 much related as father and daughter1   
because brothers have identical blood1  

and that cousins are in the same        
relation to each other as half brothers4
 ,in the ,oneida ,community uncles and  
nieces twice paired1 and it is          
noticeable that a considerable          
proportion of the children had ,noyes'  
blood on one or both sides4 ,the founder
 himself had nine children in the       
,community1 to which belonged also his  
brother1 his two sisters and their      
children4 ,as to the care of the        
children1 this belonged exclusively to  
the mothers for the first nine months1  
after which for a further nine months   
they took charge of their offspring at  
night only4 ,when eighteen months old1  
the children were transferred to a      
separate department which was managed by
 those who had shown themselves         
specially fitted for the work4  ,let us 
see what was the result of ,noyes'      
experiment4 ,of the sixty#ci3;,a        
children born1 five died at or near     
childbirth from unforeseen causes       
depending upon the mother4 ,all the     

others were alive at the date of ,mrs4  
,mc,gee's communication1 except a boy   
who was reared in spite of weakness1 and
 died from a trifling malady when about 
sixteen years of age4 ,all the children 
were strong and healthy1 the boys being 
tall--several over six                  
feet--broad-shouldered and finely       
proportioned2 the girls robust and      
well-built4 ,it is remarkable1 that     
among the children between five and nine
 years of age1 thirteen were boys and   
six only were girls4 ,with reference to 
their intellectual ability1 it is stated
 by ,mrs4 ,mc,gee that1 of the oldest   
sixteen boys1 ten were in business1     
chiefly employed as clerks1 foremen1    
etc41 in the manufactories of the joint 
stock company4 ,the eleventh was a      
musician of repute2 another a medical   
student2 one passed through college and 
studied law2 one was a college senior1  
and one entered college after winning   
,state and local scholarships1 and gave 
great mathematical promise4 ,the        

sixteenth boy was a mechanic1 and the   
only one employed in manual labor4 ,of  
the six girls between eighteen and      
twenty-two years1 three are said by     
,mrs4 ,mc,gee to be especially          
intellectual4 ,the mothers of these     
children usually belonged to the classes
 employed in manual labor1 while the    
fathers1 with the exception of the      
,noyes family and half a dozen lawyers1 
doctors and clergymen1 were all farmers 
and mechanics4 ,it is noteworthy that1  
as a rule1 the fathers were the         
intellectual superiors of their mates1  
and enquiry develops the fact1 known in 
the ,community1 that in these cases the 
children are markedly superior to the   
maternal stock4  ,when this system of   
complex marriage had been in operation  
twenty years1 the desire to return to   
the old system of monogamy arose1 and it
 became so strong in the ,community that
 its founder retired from it1 and on    
,august #bf1 #ahgi1 complex marriage was
 renounced1 although nominally in       

deference to public sentiment4          
,twenty-five couples who had been       
married before entering the ,community  
again became husband and wife1 and      
twenty marriages between other          
individuals took place within four      
months after the abandonment of the     
stirpicultural experiment4 ,there were  
then in the ,community two hundred and  
sixteen adults and eighty-three children
 under twenty years of age4  ,so far as 
the real object which the founder of the
 ,oneida ,community had in view in his  
marriage system1 it was undoubtedly a   
failure1 as of the offspring1 in spite  
of their early doctrinal training1 only 
a very few are church members1 and but  
one is a ,perfectionist4 ,this is the   
son of an uncle and a niece1 both of    
,noyes' blood4 ,from a physical and     
intellectual standpoint the experiment  
would seem to have given promise of     
success1 but it continued too short a   
time to be of much scientific value4    
,the result may be stated in the words  

of ,mrs4 ,mc,gee1 who says that the     
complete failure to perpetuate the      
church through stirpiculture would seem 
to indicate that1 while our race would  
doubtless be greatly benefited by more  
attention to laws of breeding1 yet to   
attempt promulgation of a belief by this
 means alone is only to court defeat4   
,in spite of the energy and magnetism of
 so remarkable a man as ,noyes1 in spite
 of his long-continued efforts1 and just
 when success seemed within his grasp1  
his one misjudgment of human nature bore
 fruit1 the neglected instinct of       
monogamy arose in its might and crushed 
to nothing the whole structure1 and he1 
the builder1 went last of all4 ,with the
 close of his life1 ,april #ac1 #ahhf1  
ended a unique and interesting history4 
,,intermarriage4--,we have seen that the
 founder of the ,oneida ,community      
permitted the intermarriage of uncle and
 niece1 although he considered them     
related as nearly as father and         
daughter4 ,this question of the         

intermarriage of near blood relations is
 an important one in its bearing on the 
question of stirpiculture1 and as       
already mentioned1 it has engaged the   
attention of nearly all the lower races 
of mankind4 ,it has1 indeed1 been       
provided against by the marriage        
restrictions of most uncultured peoples1
 and their systems of relationship      
clearly point out what persons are      
within the permitted limits of marriage4
 ,it appears to be the general rule that
 the children of two brothers or of two 
sisters1 whether own or tribal1 cannot  
intermarry1 but that the children of a  
brother and those of a sister may be    
thus united1 although sometimes this is 
not allowed where own brother and sister
 are concerned4#db3;,a  ,the question of
 the effect on offspring of             
consanguineous marriages was some time  
ago particularly enquired into by ,mr4  
,a4 ,h4 ,huth1 who1 after a             
consideration of all the information    
available1 came1 in his work1 ,the      

,marriage of ,near ,kin1 to the         
following conclusions3  #a--,that any   
deterioration through the marriage of   
near kin1 per se1 even if there be such 
a thing in the lower animals1 is        
impossible in man1 owing to the slow    
propagation of the species4  #b--,that  
any deterioration through the chance    
accumulation of an idiosyncrasy1 though 
more likely to occur in families where  
the marriage of blood relations was     
habitual1 practically does not occur    
oftener than in other marriages1 or it  
would be more easily demonstrated4      
#c--,that1 seeing the doubt1 to say the 
least of it1 which exists concerning the
 effect for harm of marriages between   
near kin1 and on the other hand the     
certainty that whenever and wherever    
marriage is impeded a direct and        
proportionate impulse is given to the   
practice of immorality1 it is advisable 
not to extend the prohibition against   
marriage beyond the third collateral    
degree1 and to permit all marriages of  

affinity excepting those in the direct  
ascending or descending line4  ,there   
appears to be no doubt that what are    
regarded among ,christian peoples as    
incestuous marriages are not desirable4 
,how far marriage unions between first  
cousins are advisable depends1 as       
appears from ,mr4 ,huth's remarks1 on   
considerations which affect the question
 generally4 ,if there are any serious   
physical1 intellectual or moral defects 
on either side1 no marriage should take 
place4   ,,woman',s ,,selective         
,,action4--,apart from the question of  
consanguinity1 the principles which     
should govern all marriages is that of  
sexual selection1 which should have     
reference1 however1 not merely to       
physical characters1 but also to mental 
and moral characteristics4 ,in applying 
this principle1 it must be remembered   
that while man1 like the male of all    
animals1 does the courting1 woman1 like 
all females1 makes the selection2 at    
least this is the general rule among the

 most cultured peoples4 ,thus it is     
evident that woman possesses the power  
of largely influencing the improvement  
of the human race1 and in this fact we  
may see the possibility of this being   
effected by the operation of general    
social causes1 without having recourse  
to individual experiments1 such as that 
undertaken by ,noyes1 which are         
necessarily limited in their action1 and
 may1 after all1 have like practical    
result4 ,if all women could be induced  
to combine for that end they could      
probably bring about the desired        
improvement by their own efforts4  ,on  
this subject the well-known naturalist1 
,mr4 ,a4 ,r4 ,wallace1 has some         
judicious remarks in an article on      
,human ,progress1 ,past and ,future1 in 
,the ,arena for ,january1 #ahib4 ,mr4   
,wallace1 who accepts the views of      
,weismann as to the non-inheritance of  
acquired characters1 thinks that the    
physical and moral evils and degradation
 attendant on the conditions of modern  

city life will have no permanent        
effects1 when a more rational and       
elevating system of social organization 
is brought about4 ,the most important   
agency in this social regeneration will 
be the selective action of woman1 under 
the influence of her newly acquired     
freedom and higher education4 ,says ,mr4
 ,wallace3 ,when such social changes    
have been effected that no woman will be
 compelled1 either by hunger1 isolation 
or social compulsion1 to sell herself1  
whether in or out of wedlock1 and when  
all women alike shall feel the refining 
influence of a true harmonizing         
education1 of beautiful and elevating   
surroundings1 and of a public opinion   
which shall be founded on the highest   
aspirations of their age and country1   
the result will be a form of human      
selection which will bring about a      
continuous advance in the average status
 of the race4 ,under such conditions1   
all who are deformed either in body or  
mind1 though they may be able to lead   

happy and contented lives1 will1 as a   
rule1 leave no children to inherit their
 deformity4 ,even now we find many women
 who do not marry because they have     
never found the man of their ideal4     
,when no woman will be compelled to     
marry for a bare living or for a        
comfortable home1 those who remain      
unmarried from their own free choice    
will certainly increase in number1 while
 many others1 having no inducement to an
 early marriage1 will wait until they   
meet with a partner who is really       
congenial to them4 ,in such a reformed  
society the vicious man1 the man of     
degraded taste or of feeble intellect1  
will have little chance of finding a    
wife1 and his bad qualities will die out
 with himself4 ,the most perfect and    
beautiful in body and mind will1 on the 
other hand1 be most sought and therefore
 be most likely to marry early1 the less
 highly endowed later1 and the least    
gifted in any way the latest of all2 and
 this will be the case with both sexes4 

,from this varying age of marriage1 as  
,mr4 ,galton has shown1 there will      
result a more rapid increase of the     
former than of the latter1 and this     
cause continuing at work for successive 
generations will at length bring the    
average man to be the equal of those who
 are now among the more advanced of the 
race4  ,we have here the application of 
the principle of sexual selection in its
 highest sense1 although limited in     
action to women1 and it is undoubtedly  
the phase of stirpiculture which will   
become operative when the emancipation  
of women is completed4 ,there is one    
feature of modern society which may     
retard its operation1 and which was     
referred to by ,darwin as interfering   
with the physical effect of sexual      
selection in the past4 ,wealth is now1  
more than ever before1 an important     
factor in society1 and not only man's   
but woman's choice in matrimony is often
 governed by money considerations4 ,the 
possession of wealth may be evidence of 

mental astuteness1 but not necessarily  
of high morality1 and until it ceases to
 be sought after in marriage it will    
seriously interfere with the improvement
 of the race on its higher planes4  ,the
 sexual selection which ,mr4 ,wallace so
 ably advocates is to be exercised by   
woman1 and hence its efficiency will    
depend on the fitness of woman1 not only
 to choose proper partners in marriage1 
but to communicate the highest physical 
and mental characters to her offspring4 
,she can transmit only what she herself 
possesses1 and she will choose that     
which is in sympathy with her own       
feelings and desires1 so that if she is 
to affect the race beneficially1 she    
must seek first her own perfection4     
,hence the great importance of the      
woman's movement of the present day1 the
 basis of which is the better           
development of her physical1 mental and 
moral faculties1 without which she      
cannot expect to have the increased     
social privileges to which she may      

aspire4 ,the greatest social privilege  
women can have is to be the chief agent 
in the improvement of the race1 and     
through it the regeneration of society  
itself4 ,lady ,may ,jeune1 in reply to  
those who think that the present        
relations between mothers and daughters 
threaten family disruption1 observes1   
,that woman was created for the purpose 
of being the wife and mother of mankind 
no one can deny1 and that none of the   
discoveries of science or any attempt to
 solve the mysteries of life have       
brought her one bit nearer the knowledge
 of how to unburden herself of these    
responsibilities1 is also a fact4 ,this 
must be true if the race is to be       
continued2 for without wives there can  
be no mothers4 ,being possible mothers1 
therefore1 it is necessary1 if the race 
and society are to be improved1 that    
women shall acquire the highest         
physical1 intellectual and moral        
education they are capable of1 and if   
they require the same qualities in their

 husbands1 the problem we are           
considering will be solved4   ,,man',s  
,,and ,,woman',s ,,co-,,operation4--,we 
have here the central idea of the ,new  
,hedonism advocated by ,mr4 ,grant      
,allen1 whose views necessitate the     
active agency of man as well as of      
woman4 ,this is only reasonable1 seeing 
that offspring depend on the            
co-operation of two factors1 and that if
 either of them is defective the        
offspring must share in the defect4     
,self-development is an aim of all1 says
 ,mr4 ,grant ,allen1 an aim which will  
make all stronger and braver1 and wiser1
 and better4 ,it will make each in the  
end more helpful to humanity4 ,to be    
sound in wind and limb2 to be healthy of
 body and mind2 to be educated1 to be   
emancipated1 to be free1 to be          
beautiful--these things are ends towards
 which all should strive1 and by        
attaining which all are happier in      
themselves1 and more useful to others4  
,hence the ,new ,hedonism teaches that  

to prepare ourselves for the duties of  
paternity and maternity1 by making      
ourselves as vigorous and healthful as  
we can be is a duty we owe to all our   
children unborn and to one another4     
,this applies as well to the body       
spiritual1 intellectual and esthetic as 
to the physical body4 ,mr4 ,grant ,allen
 thinks the theory he advocates will    
introduce a new system1 which will not  
include the selling of self into        
loveless union for a night or for a     
lifetime2 the bearing of children by a  
mother to a man she despises or loathes 
or shrinks from2 the production by      
force1 sanctified by law1 of hereditary 
drunkards1 hereditary epileptics1       
hereditary consumptives1 hereditary     
criminals4 ,we shall expect in the      
future a purer and truer relation       
between father and mother1 parent and   
child4 ,we shall expect some sanctity to
 attach to the idea of paternity1 some  
thought and care to be given beforehand 
to the duties of motherhood4 ,we will   

not admit that the chance union of two  
unfit persons1 who ought never to have  
made themselves parents at all1 or ought
 never to have made themselves parents  
with one another1 can be rendered holy  
and harmless by the hands of a priest   
extended to bless a bought love1 or a   
bargain of impure marriage4 ,in one     
word1 for the first time in the history 
of the race1 we shall evolve the totally
 new idea of responsibility in          
parentage4 ,and as part of this         
responsibility we shall include the two 
antithetical1 but correlative1 doctrines
 of a moral abstinence from fatherhood  
and motherhood on the part of the unfit1
 and a moral obligation to fatherhood   
and motherhood on the part of the       
noblest1 the purest1 the sanest1 the    
healthiest1 the most able among us4 ,we 
will not doom to forced celibacy half   
our finest mothers4   ,,the             
,,individual',s ,,rights4--,from the    
racial standpoint these views are just  
and cannot be controverted1 but         

something must be allowed to the        
individual4 ,the relative position and  
rights of the race and the individual   
are in a dispute1 which has become      
intensified since the development of the
 theory of evolution4 ,but the          
individual is the beginning of the race 
and he should be its end4 ,therefore1 in
 seeking to improve the race1 violence  
must not be done to the highest         
sentiments of the individual4 ,it is a  
fact that many highly cultured          
individuals have a repugnance to certain
 aspects of married life1 and this      
repugnance appears to be justified by   
the further fact that a high state of   
refinement is often attended with loss  
of physical productiveness4 ,one of the 
most curious results of ,galton's       
enquiries into heredity was that wealthy
 families have a tendency to die out in 
heiresses1 which is partly1 but not     
wholly1 dependent on the fact that      
childbearing is more often the          
accompaniment of poverty than of        

luxurious living4  ,the personal        
disinclination to marry attendant on    
intellectual refinement is still more   
likely to be possessed by those of high 
spirituality4 ,this is quite natural1   
notwithstanding the statement of ,mr4   
,grant ,allen1 which is undoubtedly     
true1 that the origin and basis of all  
that is best and highest within us is to
 be found in the sex-instinct4 ,love may
 have begotten all higher arts and all  
higher customs1 and yet love may in the 
process itself become sexless1 as it is 
when it assumes the noblest form1 that  
of divine charity for our fellowmen4 ,as
 well might we continue to perpetuate in
 our highest actions the nature of the  
ape-man because we are descendants of   
this creature1 as let the idea of sex   
always rule our thoughts4 ,with the     
individual the physical influence of sex
 is weakened and finally ceases1        
although it ever remains constant in the
 race1 and hence the influence of the   
idea of sex over the mind of the        

individual should be similarly affected4
 ,in ,heaven1 said the founder of       
,christianity1 there is neither marrying
 nor giving in marriage1 and in that    
highest mental condition1 which is      
heaven on earth1 the sense of sex has   
ceased to be operative1 having given    
place to the spiritual sense which is   
the noblest attribute of man because the
 last to be developed4  ,we have here1  
however1 a question between the         
individual and the race1 and it does not
 affect the main contention that the    
improvement of the race1 which includes 
that of the individual1 is to be found  
in the application of the principle of  
selection4 ,this must necessarily be    
chiefly in the hands of women1 although 
both men and women must co-operate to   
bring about the best results1 by seeking
 first of all to improve their own      
natures by physical1 intellectual and   
moral culture4 ,the statement of the    
case according to that principle1 and   
the aim to be attained1 exhibit the     

dignity and importance of the subject of
 stirpiculture4 ,theoretically this is  
admitted on all hands1 and as soon as   
the conditions of the subject are       
clearly understood there will be no     
practical difficulty in carrying the    
principle into effect1 so that it may   
have its legitimate consequences4  ,what
 parents have to realize is the         
necessity of so training and instructing
 their children that they may become    
capable of being the parents of perfect 
offspring4 ,the good tree only can bear 
good fruit4 ,but this is not the real   
starting point of stirpiculture4 ,an    
essential factor1 and one that is seldom
 thought of1 is the spirit in which the 
inception of offspring is undertaken4   
,marriage was to the ancients a sacred  
state1 because it was associated with   
the religion of the domestic altar1 and 
because the perpetuation of the family1 
which was its aim1 was required by the  
necessity of having a son to perform the
 sacred rites at that altar after the   

death of his father4 ,the perpetuation  
of the family was thus a sacred duty1   
and the consummation of marriage partook
 of this character4 ,according to the   
ancient ,persian religion1 the union of 
man and woman is the act most agreeable 
to ,god1 and the act of consummation is 
directed to be sanctified1 and a prayer 
directed to ,god that ,he would bless   
it4 ,marriage must be conducted in this 
spirit1 rather than as a means of       
gratifying the passions1 if the happiest
 results are to be obtained from the    
application of the principle of sexual  
selection4   ,,spiritual ,,sympathy ,,in
 ,,marriage4--,that supposes1 however1  
the existence of spiritual sympathy     
between those who are united in         
marriage1 and this sympathy must form   
the true basis of all improvements in   
the race4 ,it was the neglect of this   
feature1 the want of which must render  
any attempt to carry out ,plato's ideas 
on the subject of marriage futile1 that 
put a stop to the experiments undertaken

 by his latest imitator1 ,noyes4 ,his   
adherents simply made a return to the   
monogamy which is the heritage of all   
the ,aryan peoples1 and which is based  
on the union of two hearts1 and not     
merely of two persons4 ,this is the     
first application of the principle of   
sexual selection above the animal plane1
 and it must be continued               
notwithstanding that the range of       
selection is extended so as to embrace  
also the intellectual and moral planes4 
,how far the ,state may ultimately be   
called on to aid in the improvement of  
the race1 in accordance with the ideas  
we have been considering1 is doubtful4  
,it can aid very materially in placing  
restraints on too early marriage1 and by
 insisting on the attainment of a proper
 standard of physical training and of   
mental culture before marriage is       
entered on4 ,there is no reason1        
moreover1 why the ,state should not     
interfere to prevent the marriage of    
those who are too near of kin1 or who by

 reason of physical or mental ailment1  
or by their moral defects are not fit   
subjects for the propagation of the     
race4 ,the objection to this            
interference with personal liberty is so
 strong1 however1 that even so rational 
a procedure as preventing the spread1   
through marriage alliances1 of disease  
and crime cannot yet obtain the sanction
 of public opinion4 ,this will be       
educated with the general improvement of
 the race that must gradually take place
 through other agencies1 and then the   
,state will have merely to carry into   
effect the decrees of the people1 which 
will be expressed in no uncertain       
language when woman has attained to the 
influence to which her own perfected    
condition will entitle her4             
,,footnotes3  #ba3;,a ,mr4 ,darwin      
accepted this view at first2 but in a   
note to the second edition of his       
,descent of ,man he says3 ,c4 ,staniland
 ,wake argues strongly against the views
 held by these three writers on the     

former prevalence of almost promiscuous 
intercourse4 ,see ,development of       
,kinship and ,marriage4 ,redway1        
,london4 #ahhh4  #bh3;,a ,the ,open     
,court ,publishing ,company1 ,chicago4  
#ahib4  #ci3;,a ,it should be sixty-one4
  #db3;,a ,see ,lorimer ,fison1 in ,the 
,journal of the ,anthropological        
,institute1 ,may1 #ahie1 page #cfa4 ,the
 whole subject is exhaustively treated  
by ,c4 ,staniland ,wake1 in his         
,development of ,kinship and ,marriage4 
,,prenatal ,,culture4   ,in the last    
preceding chapter we have considered the
 subject of the improvement of the race1
 especially through the action of sexual
 selection1 or1 as it may be expressed1 
selective action in the pairing of      
individuals1 whether brought about      
compulsorily by the controlling         
influence of the ,state or some other   
external authority1 or by the actual    
choice of one or both of the individuals
 immediately concerned4 ,we have now to 
deal with the subject of the influence  

over offspring of affections of the     
individual organisms from whose union   
such offspring is derived4   ,,jacob',s 
,,flocks4--,the story of ,jacob dealing 
with the flocks of ,laban1 given in     
,genesis xxx1 is usually alluded to in  
corroboration of the belief that        
offspring may be physically affected    
before birth1 by anything which strongly
 influences the imagination of the      
mother4 ,jacob is represented as making 
an agreement with ,laban1 his           
father-in-law1 that ,jacob should       
receive as his hire all the ringstreaked
 and spotted he-goats and all the black 
she-goats1 and also those that were     
speckled and spotted4 ,when this        
arrangement had been made1 ,laban sought
 to benefit by it by removing from the  
flock all the goats that answered to    
that description1 and giving them into  
the care of his sons1 leaving the rest  
of the flock in ,jacob's charge4 ,this  
was undoubtedly an attempt on the part  
of ,laban to cheat his son-in-law out of

 his wages1 but the latter was not to be
 so cheated1 and he adopted a plan which
 gave him the pick of the flock1 leaving
 the feeble goats to his less wily      
parent4  ,in describing this operation1 
the ,bible story says3 ,and ,jacob took 
him rods of fresh poplar or storax tree 
and of the almond and of the plane tree1
 and peeled white streaks in them1 and  
made the white appear which was in the  
rods4 ,and he set the rods which he had 
peeled over against the flocks in the   
gutters in the watering troughs where   
the flocks came to drink2 and they      
conceived when they came to drink4 ,and 
the flocks conceived before the rods1   
and the flocks brought forth            
ringstreaked1 speckled and spotted4 ,and
 ,jacob separated the lambs1 and set the
 faces of the flocks toward the         
ringstreaked and all the black in the   
flock of ,laban2 and he put his own     
droves apart1 and put them not unto     
,laban's flock4 ,and it came to pass1   
whensoever the stronger of the flock did

 conceive1 that ,jacob laid the rods    
before the eyes of the flock in the     
gutters1 that they might conceive among 
the rods2 but when the flock were       
feeble1 he put them not in3 so the      
feebler were ,laban's1 and the stronger 
,jacob's4  ,whether or not this incident
 actually occurred as stated we do not  
know4 ,according to the subsequent part 
of the narrative1 the effect of setting 
up the peeled rods was ascribed to      
,god's interference in his behalf2 but  
it is not improbable that we have in the
 story a reference to ancient shepherd  
lore1 based on the superstitious notions
 still so common in the ,east4 ,in the  
earlier part of the same chapter is a   
story relating to mandrakes1 which were 
supposed to have influence on human     
generation4 ,jacob is said to have used 
three kinds of rods1 those of the poplar
 or storax tree1 the almond1 and the    
plane tree1 which produced ringstreaked1
 speckled and spotted lambs4  ,the      
influence exerted by ,jacob's rods was  

of a different character from that which
 is supposed to give rise to the marking
 of offspring before birth1 which is not
 uncommon if we are to accept as true   
all the cases mentioned in books        
referring to the subject4 ,what occurred
 took place before conception1 and not  
subsequent to it1 as in these cases4    
,nevertheless1 both classes of phenomena
 are recognized by so competent an      
authority as ,m4 ,th4 ,ribot1 who1 in   
his ,heredity1#eg3;,a when criticising  
,dr4 ,lucas' explanation of the origin  
of the numerous exceptions to the law of
 heredity1 as being due to the operation
 of the law of spontaneity1 affirms that
 there is no law of spontaneity1 but    
that all such exceptions may be         
explained by reference to certain causes
 of diversity4 ,m4 ,ribot gives three   
causes of diversity1 which are3         
#a--;,antagonistic heredities of two    
parents2 #b--;,accidental causes in     
action at the moment of generation2     
#c--;,external and internal influences  

subsequent to conception4 ,he assigns   
but little importance to causes acting  
after birth1 such as diet1 climate1     
circumstances1 education1 physical and  
moral influences1 because1 though they  
may produce serious effects1 these are  
not radical4 ,possibly1 however1 since  
the advance made in the education of    
those who are born with defects of the  
sensory apparatus1 ,m4 ,ribot would     
somewhat modify his opinion on that     
point4 ,as to the causes which operate  
at the period of conception1 or         
subsequent thereto and before birth1 he 
says1 in relation to the latter class1  
they are all the physical and moral     
disturbances of uterine existence--all  
those influences which can act through  
the mother upon the fetus during the    
period of gestation2 impressions1       
emotions1 defective nutrition1 effects  
of imagination4 ,he adds3 ,these causes 
are very real1 despite the objections of
 ,lucas1 who attacks them in order to   
establish his law of spontaneity4 ,we   

see from examples that between          
considerable causes and their effects   
there exists an amazing disproportion4  
,the causes of diversity which operate  
at the instant of conception depend1    
says ,ribot1 less upon the physical and 
moral natures of the parents than on the
 particular state in which they are at  
the moment of procreation4 ,this fact is
 referred to by ,m4 de ,quatrefages as  
fully proving the universality of the   
law of heredity1 and ,m4 ,ribot adds1   
,it enables us to understand that those 
transitory states which exist at the    
moment of conception may exert a        
decisive influence on the nature of the 
being procreated1 so that often1 where  
now we see only spontaneity1 a more     
perfect knowledge of the causes at work 
would show us heredity4  ,professor ,e4 
,d4 ,cope1 the well-known author of ,the
 ,origin of the ,fittest1 would seem to 
doubt the truth of the stories of       
birthmarks on the ground that the effect
 of temporary impressions on the mother 

is not strong enough to counterbalance  
the molecular structure established by  
impressions oftener repeated throughout 
much longer periods of time4#ei3;,a ,and
 yet there is no doubt that birthmarks  
do occasionally occur1 although it is   
very difficult to obtain properly       
authenticated cases of them4   ,,an     
,,illustrative ,,case4--,how great is   
the influence on unborn offspring of the
 mother's mental condition1 as well as  
the effect over them of pleasant        
surroundings1 is shown by the following 
case4 ,a young girl attracted attention 
by her beauty and by the superiority of 
the type she exhibited over that of     
either of her parents1 and on her mother
 being spoken to on the subject she     
remarked3  ,in my early married life my 
husband and ,i learned how to live in   
holy relations1 after ,god's ordinance4 
,my husband lovingly consented to let me
 live apart from him during the time ,i 
carried this little daughter under my   
heart1 and also while ,i was nursing    

her4 ,those were the happiest days of my
 life4 ,every day before my child was   
born1 ,i could have hugged myself with  
delight at the prospect of becoming a   
mother4 ,my husband and ,i were never so
 tenderly1 so harmoniously1 or so       
happily related to each other1 and ,i   
never loved him more deeply than during 
those blessed months4 ,i was surrounded 
by all beautiful things1 and one picture
 of a lovely face was especially in my  
thought4 ,my daughter looks more like   
that picture than she does like either  
of us4 ,from the time she was born she  
was like an exquisite rosebud--the      
flower of pure1 sanctified1 happy love4 
,she never cried at night1 was never    
fretful or nervous1 but was all smiles  
and winning baby ways1 filling our      
hearts and home with perpetual gladness4
 ,to this day1 and she is now fourteen  
years old1 ,i have never had the        
slightest difficulty in bringing her up4
 ,she turns naturally to the right1 and 
,i never knew her to be cross or        

impatient or hard to manage4 ,she has   
given me only comfort2 and ,i realize   
from an experience of just the opposite 
nature that the reason of all this is   
because my little girl had her          
birthright4  ,the future experience of  
this lady was1 however1 of a very       
different nature4 ,she added3  ,a few   
years later ,i was again about to become
 a mother1 but with what different      
feelings6 ,my husband had become        
contaminated with the popular idea that 
even more and frequent relations were   
permissible during pregnancy4 ,i was    
powerless against this wicked sophistry1
 and was obliged to yield to his        
constant desires4 ,but how ,i suffered  
and cried2 how wretched ,i was2 how     
nervous and almost despairing6 ,worst of
 all1 ,i felt my love and trusting faith
 turning to dread and repulsion4  ,my   
little boy1 on whom my husband set high 
hopes1 was born after nine of the most  
unhappy1 distressing months of my life1 
a sickly1 nervous1 fretting             

child--myself in miniature1 and after   
five years of life that was predestined 
by all the circumstances to be just what
 it was1 after giving us only anxiety   
and care1 he died1 leaving us sadder and
 wiser4  ,i have demonstrated to my own 
abundant satisfaction that there is but 
one right1 ,god-given way to beget and  
rear children1 and ,i know that ,i am   
only one of many who can corroborate    
this testimony4  ,the following case of 
prenatal culture appeared in ,the       
,philosophical for ,october #e1 #ahie1  
above the signature of ,john ,allyn1 who
 says3  ,about forty years ago ,i was a 
neighbor of a young couple who had been 
recently married4 ,they were of fair    
natural abilities1 but not highly       
educated4 ,the wife could play on the   
piano well and accompany it with her    
voice4 ,the husband was a house-building
 contractor4 ,before their first child  
was born the wife was provided with     
instruments for drawing1 and interested 
herself in their use and mathematical   

calculations connected with them4 ,the  
child proved to be a boy1 who took to   
architectural drawing as by instinct4   
,with very little effort he became      
proficient1 and is now employed at a    
high salary by the ,southern ,pacific   
,railroad as their architect4  ,some    
years later1 before the second child was
 born1 the mother interested herself    
with music with reference to the effect 
it would have on the unborn child4 ,this
 child proved to be a girl1 who is now  
an expert singer1 finding ready         
employment in opera companies4 ,though  
not a star1 she has a superior talent   
for music which enabled her to take     
advantages of musical training easily4  
,,beliefs ,,of ,,primitive              
,,peoples4--,whenever such cases happen1
 it is under the influence of some very 
strong emotion1 during the period of    
gestation1 arising from the action on   
the nervous system of the mother by an  
external object presented to the sight1 
the organ of which would seem to have an

 intimate association with the general  
muscular system4 ,there is nothing to   
show that primitive peoples recognized  
the action of prenatal influence through
 the senses2 but there is a very curious
 custom1 which is so widespread at the  
present time that we may well suppose it
 to have been formerly almost universal1
 dependent upon the imagined effect of  
the eating of animal flesh4 ,all        
primitive peoples believe that a man    
acquires physical or mental             
characteristics from animals of whose   
flesh he partakes4 ,cannibalism is      
closely connected with this notion1 as  
the man who eats part of the body of a  
foe is thought to become endowed with   
the victim's courage1 strength or other 
special quality4 ,probably the ,mosaic  
regulations as to unclean animals1 that 
is1 animals unfit for food1 was based on
 such an idea2 and certainly the command
 to abstain from eating blood was thus  
connected2 as we are told the blood is  
the life1 and if so1 then it must be the

 carrier of vital influences4  ,the     
custom above referred to1 which is known
 to ethnologists as la couvade1 or      
hatching1 supposes injurious action on  
the organism of the child of food eaten 
by its parents1 as appears from the     
facts brought together by ,dr4 ,e4 ,b4  
,tylor in his ,researches into the      
,early ,history of ,mankind4 ,the       
couvade usually has reference to the    
period immediately following the birth  
of a child2 but among the native tribes 
of ,south ,america1 where it is more    
extensively prevalent than elsewhere1 it
 is observed while the child is still   
unborn4 ,thus1 in ,brazil1 according to 
,von ,martius1 ,a strict regimen is     
preserved before the birth2 the man and 
the woman refrain for a time from the   
flesh of certain animals1 and live      
chiefly on fish and fruits4 ,the        
peculiarity of the couvade custom1 and  
that which gives it its special         
interest1 is the fact that it usually   
concerns the father and not the mother1 

as injury to the child is supposed to be
 due to the conduct of the former rather
 than of the latter4 ,thus1 among the   
,land ,dyaks of ,borneo1 ,the husband1  
before the birth of his child1 may do no
 work with a sharp instrument1 except   
what is necessary for the farm2 nor may 
he fire guns1 nor strike animals1 nor do
 any violent work1 lest bad influences  
should affect the child2 and after it is
 born the father is kept in seclusion   
indoors for several days1 and dieted on 
rice and salt1 to prevent not his own   
but his child's stomach from swelling4  
,here food abstinence takes place after 
the birth of the child1 but1 according  
to ,brett1 in ,guinea ,some of the      
,acawois and ,caribi nations1 when they 
have reason to expect an increase of    
their families consider themselves bound
 to abstain from certain kinds of meat1 
lest the expected child should1 in some 
mysterious way1 be injured by the       
partaking of it4 ,the acouri 7or agouti7
 is thus tabooed1 lest1 like that little

 animal1 the child should be meager2 the
 haimara1 also1 lest it should be       
blind--the outer coating of the eye of  
the fish suggesting film or cataract2   
the labba1 lest the infant's mouth      
should protrude like the labba's1 or    
lest it be spotted like the labba1 which
 spots would ultimately become sores4   
,another related case1 of more recent   
observation1 is that of the ,motumotu of
 ,new ,guinea1 who say that after       
conception the mother must not eat sweet
 potato or taro1 lest the head of the   
child grow out of proportion1 and the   
father must not eat crocodile or several
 kinds of fish1 lest the child's legs   
grow out of proportion4 ,at ,suan1 a    
husband shuts himself up for some days  
after the birth of his first child1 and 
will eat nothing4#fe3;,a  ,various      
explanations of the custom of couvade   
have been offered1 and probably ,c4     
,staniland ,wake is right when he states
 that it is connected with the idea that
 the father is the real source of the   

child's life4#ff3;,a ,as he points out1 
on the authority of ,m4 ,girard-,teulon1
 among the ,european ,basques1 even at  
the present day1 a husband enters his   
wife's abode only for the purpose of    
reproduction1 and to work for the       
benefit of his wife4 ,mr4 ,wake remarks 
that1 ,with some of the ,brazilian      
tribes1 when a man becomes a father he  
goes to bed instead of his wife1 and all
 the women of the village come to       
console him for the pain and suffering  
he has had in making this child4 ,this  
agrees with the idea entertained by so  
many peoples that the child is derived  
from the father only1 the mother being  
merely its nourisher4 ,when such an idea
 is held1 it is not surprising if1 as   
among the ,abipones1 the belief is      
formed that the father's carelessness   
influences the new-born offspring1 from 
a natural bond and sympathy of both1 or 
if the father abstains1 either before or
 after the child's birth1 from eating   
any food1 or performing any actions     

which are thought capable of doing it   
harm4 ,still more so1 if the child is   
regarded1 as is sometimes the case1 as  
the reincarnation of the father1 a      
notion which is supported by the fact1  
pointed out by ,mr4 ,gerald ,massey1    
that in the couvade the parent          
identifies himself with the infant      
child1 into which he has been typically 
transformed4  ,that conclusion agrees   
with the opinion expressed by ,mr4      
,tylor1 that the couvade implicitly     
denies that physical separation of      
'individuals' which a civilized man     
would probably set down as a first      
principle common by nature to all       
mankind4 4 4 4 ,it shows us a number of 
distinct and distant tribes deliberately
 holding the opinion that the connection
 between father and child is not only1  
as we think1 a mere relation of         
parentage1 affection1 duty1 but that    
their very bodies are joined by a       
physical bond1 so that what is done to  
the one acts directly upon the          

other4#fg3;,a ,the couvade custom is    
thus closely connected with the question
 of the special relationship of a child 
to one or other of its parents4 ,curious
 notions on this subject have been      
formed from time to time2 but the       
ancients almost universally entertained 
the idea held by the ,greeks that the   
father1 as endowed with creative power1 
was clothed with the divine character1  
but not the mother1 who was only the    
bearer and nourisher of the child4      
,professor ,hearn accepts this view in  
his work1 ,the ,aryan ,household1 and   
suggests as the ,aryan thought on the   
subject3 ,a male was the first founder  
of the house4 ,his descendants have 'the
 nature of the same blood' as he4 ,they1
 in common1 possess the same mysterious 
principle of life4 ,the life spark1 so  
to speak1 has been once kindled1 and its
 identity1 in all its transmissions1    
must be preserved4 ,but the father is   
the life-giver4 ,he alone transmits the 
life spark1 which from his father he    

received4 ,the daughter receives1       
indeed1 the principle of life1 but she  
cannot transmit it4  ,m4 ,ribot1 who1 as
 we have seen1 endorses the popular     
belief as to the possibility of the     
fetus being affected1 during uterine    
existence1 through the organism of the  
mother1 reduces all the obscure causes  
of deviation from heredity to two       
classes4 ,of these1 the first is the    
disproportion of effects to causes1     
already mentioned2 and the second is the
 transformation of heredity4 ,as to the 
first of these causes1 he lays it down  
as a general truth that the more        
complicated the mechanism1 the greater  
the disproportion between accidental    
causes and their effects4 ,he supports  
this conclusion by reference to         
,geoffroy ,saint-,hilaire's researches  
on the production of monsters1 and he   
affirms that the disproportion between  
cause and effect cannot be foreseen by  
measuring1 but is known only by         
experience1 as psychological laws are   

analogous now to mechanical and now to  
chemical laws1 so that it is impossible 
to proceed by deduction from causes to  
effects4 7,page #bjg47   ,,birthmarks   
,,rare4--,and yet the very fact that    
cases of birthmarks are comparatively   
rare1 proves the greatly preponderating 
influence of heredity over the          
constitution of the offspring1 modified 
by the disposition of the parents at the
 time of procreation4 ,professor ,cope  
has some explanatory remarks on that    
subject which deserve quotation4 ,he    
says--after referring to the hypothesis 
that growth-force may be1 through the   
motive force of the animal1 directed to 
any locality1 whether the commencement  
of an executive organ has begun or      
not--that ,a difficulty in the way of   
this hypothesis is the frequently       
unyielding character of the structure of
 adult animals1 and the difficulty of   
bringing sufficient pressure to bear on 
them without destroying life4 ,but1 in  
fact1 the modifications must1 in most   

instances1 take place during the period 
of growth4 ,it is well known that the   
mental characteristics of the father are
 transmitted through the spermatozoid1  
and that1 therefore1 the molecular      
movements which produce the mechanism of
 such mental characters must exist in   
the spermatozoid4 ,but the material of  
the spermatozoid is combined with that  
of the ovum1 and the embryo is          
compounded of the animal contents of    
both bodies4 ,in a wonderful way the    
embryo develops into a being which      
resembles one or both parents in minute 
details4 ,this result is evidently      
determined by the molecular and dynamic 
character of the original reproductive  
cells which necessarily communicate     
their properties to the embryo which is 
produced by their subdivisions4         
,professor ,cope goes on to say1        
,richard ,hering has identified this    
property of the original cells with the 
faculty of memory4 ,this is a brilliant 
thought1 and1 under restriction1        

probably correct4 ,the sensations of    
persons who have suffered amputation    
show that their sensorium maintained a  
picture or map of the body so far as    
regards the location of all its         
sensitive regions4 ,this simulcrum is   
invested with consciousness whenever the
 proper stimulus is applied1 and the    
character of the stimulus is fixed by   
it4 ,this picture probably resides in   
many of the cells1 both sensory and     
motor1 and it probably does so in the   
few cells of simple and low forms of    
life4 ,the spermatozoid is such a cell1 
and1 how or why we know not1 also       
contains such an arrangement of its     
contents1 and contains and communicates 
such a type of force4 ,it is probable   
that in the brain-cell this is the      
condition of memory of locality4 ,if1   
now1 an intense and long-continued      
pressure of stimulus produces an        
unconscious picture of some organ of the
 body in the mind1 there is reason to   
suppose that the energies communicated  

to the embryo by the spermatozoid and   
ovum will partake of the memory thus    
created4 ,the only reason why the       
oft-repeated stories of birthmarks are  
so often untrue1 is because the effect  
of temporary impressions on the mother  
is not strong enough to counterbalance  
the molecular structure established by  
impressions often repeated throughout   
much larger periods of time4#ga3;,a     
,,why ,,children ,,resemble             
,,parents4--,that children reproduce the
 general and physical and mental        
characteristics of their parents in     
combination is unquestionable truth1    
although the particular mode in which   
they are communicated is yet            
undetermined1 notwithstanding the fact  
mentioned by ,professor ,cope that they 
are somehow conveyed by the microscopic 
sperm and germ in the union of which the
 new being has its beginning4 ,thus     
every individual must possess the       
general characteristics of the primitive
 human family from which through a vast 

number of ancestors he has descended4   
,and yet at every stage of descent the  
organism may have obtained fresh        
characters1 or at least have undergone  
some modification4 ,as remarked by ,dr4 
,g4 ,h4 ,th4 ,eimer1 ,every character   
which must have been formed through the 
activity of the organism is an acquired 
character4 ,all characters1 therefore1  
which have been developed by exertion   
are acquired1 and these characters are  
inherited from generation to generation4
 ,the same holds for all organs         
atrophied through disease--the degree of
 atrophy is acquired and inherited4 ,in 
the first class we see especially the   
action of direct adaptation2 in the     
second1 the results of the cessation of 
the action4 ,a third class of acquired  
characters is to be traced simply to the
 immediate action of the environment on 
the organism1 and1 originally1 at the   
commencement of their appearance1 all   
characters must have belonged to this   
class4#gb3;,a ,we have here a general   

argument in opposition to the theory    
propounded by ,professor ,weismann1 that
 acquired characters are not            
transmissible4 ,elsewhere 7page #chb7   
,dr4 ,eimer observes3 ,phyletic growth1 
or the evolution of the organic world   
ever into higher and more complex forms1
 or at least into forms of different    
structure1 is1 as ,i have said1 merely  
the sum of the processes of growth of   
the ancestors--together with the result 
of external influences on the forms     
during their development and their      
existence4 ,this additional modification
 which the individuals as such undergo  
is--together with the influence of      
crossing--the very cause of the         
constantly progressing evolution4 ,all  
that the members of a series of         
individuals directly connected by       
descent acquire constitutes together the
 material for the formation of a new    
species4   ,,life',s ,,experiences      
,,affecting ,,child4--,unless           
characteristics acquired by an          

individual1 that is1 the modifications  
of the organism due to his own life     
experiences1 are capable of being handed
 down to his offspring1 it is difficult 
to see how any progress could be made in
 the development of the race4           
,weismann's declaration that acquired   
characters are not transmissible was a  
surprise to the scientific world when   
first made1 but it has been accepted by 
many ,darwinians4 ,his conclusion is    
dependent on his doctrine of heredity1  
which differs from that propounded by   
,darwin1 but is by no means new2 as its 
leading ideas1 as pointed out by        
,professor ,g4 ,j4 ,romanes1#gc3;,a are 
largely a reproduction of those of ,mr4 
,francis ,galton1 whose work on heredity
 attracted much attention when first    
published4 ,the views of ,darwin1       
,galton and ,weismann on that subject   
have been compared by ,professor        
,romanes1 who explains the distinction  
between them4 ,he says 7page #acc71     
after referring to the supposed         

continuity of the germ-plasm1 common to 
the theories of ,galton and ,weismann1  
but not required by that of ,darwin1    
,the three theories may be ranked       
thus--,the particulate elements of      
heredity all proceed centripetally from 
somatic-cells to germ-cells 7gemmules73 
the inheritance of acquired characters  
is therefore habitual4  ,these          
particulate elements proceed for the    
most part1 though not exclusively1 from 
germ-cells to somatic-cells 7stirp73 the
 inheritance of acquired characters is  
therefore but occasional4  ,the elements
 in question proceed exclusively in the 
centrifugal direction last mentioned    
7germ-plasm73 the inheritance of        
acquired characters is therefore        
impossible4  ,the first of these        
theories is that of ,darwin1 and the    
last that of ,weismann1 whose notion of 
the continuity of germ-plasm supposes   
that no part of an organism generates   
any of the formative material which goes
 to make up its offspring4 ,this        

material is regarded in much the same   
light as the sperm which the male parent
 confides to the keeping of the female1 
according to the notion of the ancient  
world above referred to4 ,for1 as       
,romanes states 7page #bf73 ,in each    
generation a small portion of this      
substance germ-plasm is told off to     
develop a new body to lodge and nourish 
the ever-growing and never-dying        
germ-plasm--this new body1 therefore1   
resembling its so-called parent body    
simply because it has been developed    
from one and the same mass of formative 
material2 and1 lastly1 that this        
formative material1 or germ-plasm1 has  
been continuous through all generations 
of successively perishing bodies1 which 
therefore stand to it in much the same  
relation as annual shoots to a perennial
 stem3 the shoots resemble one another  
simply because they are all grown from  
one and the same stock4  ,although      
,professor ,weismann denies that        
acquired characters1 that is1 individual

 peculiarities arising as the result of 
personal experience1 are transmitted1 he
 admits that congenital characters1 that
 is1 peculiarities with which an        
individual is born1 are transmitted to  
offspring4 ,as congenital characters    
must1 originally1 have been individual1 
it is not easy at first sight to        
perceive ,weismann's real meaning4 ,it  
is necessary1 therefore1 to enter more  
particularly into a consideration of his
 theory1 which he regards as in general 
accord with ,darwin's theory of         
pangenesis4 ,darwin supposes that all   
the cells of the body continually give  
off great numbers of gemmules1 which are
 conveyed by the blood and deposited in 
the germ-cells of the organism4 ,these  
cells are thus endowed with the power of
 developing a new organism of the same  
kind1 each gemmule reproducing the cell 
from which it was derived4 ,these       
ultimate vital units are called by      
,weismann biophors1 but he supposes them
 not to be the ultimate bearers of      

vitality4 ,they are said to be arranged 
in groups to which the term determinants
 is applied1 and these groups are       
combined so as to form ancestral ids or 
germ-plasms4 ,each determinant1 which is
 made up of perfectly definite numbers  
and combinations of biophors1 is the    
primary constituent of a particular     
cell1 or of a group of cells1 such as a 
blood corpuscle4 ,the determinants thus 
control the cell by breaking up into    
biophors1 which migrate into the cell   
body through the nuclear membrane1      
multiply there1 arrange themselves      
according to the forces within them1 and
 determine the histological structure of
 the cell1 impressing upon it its       
inherited specific character4 ,the      
structure of the cell1 and of every     
subsequent stage1 exists therefore      
potentially in the inherited structure  
of the id1 and the determination of its 
character depends on the biophors which 
the corresponding determinant contains1 
and which it transmits to the cell4     

,,germ-,,plasm4--,while ,weismann       
regarded germ-plasm as absolutely       
stable1 the only mode by which          
congenital variation could be brought   
about was that of amphimixis1 or        
intermingling of individuals in the     
process of generation4 ,as modified1    
however1 by his latest work1 ,the       
,germ-plasm1 a ,theory of ,heredity1    
published in #ahib1 his theory now      
allows the plasm to be capable of       
modification1 and he ascribes that      
variation to the direct effects of      
external influences on the biophors and 
determinants of the germ-plasm4 ,the    
instability of this substance is so     
slight1 however1 that congenital        
variations cannot be acted on and       
perpetuated by natural selection1 and   
the influence of amphimixis is thus     
required for the purpose4 ,mr4 ,herbert 
,spencer1 however1 in criticising       
,weismann's theory1 declares that       
functionally produced modifications of  
structure are transmissible1 and he     

refers in support of his contention to  
the remarkable effect of arrested       
nutrition on the structure and habits of
 wasps and bees4 ,it especially affects 
the reproductive organs1 and hence there
 is no occasion to call in the aid of   
amphimixis to perpetuate the variations 
produced1 its office being the blending 
of the elements on which the            
characteristics of offspring depend4    
,if it be asked how modifications are   
actually transmitted1 we may say that it
 can be only by an affection of the     
germ-cell4 ,this probably takes place by
 deviations in the structure of what    
,weismann calls determinants1 or of     
groups of determinants1 through         
rearrangement of their primary units4   
,the modification would be preceded1    
however1 by a corresponding change in   
the nerve centers concerned in the use  
or disuse of the organs affected4 ,mr4  
,spencer shows that under certain       
conditions changes take place in the    
conduct of certain insects1 and that the

 maternal activities and instincts      
undergo analogous changes1#gg3;,a facts 
which point to a loss of nervous energy 
and to an intimate connection between   
the nervous system and the reproductive 
function4 ,use or disuse first increases
 or diminishes the activity of certain  
nerve centers1 and this leads to a      
modification of the corresponding       
germ-cells4 ,if so1 the determinants1   
instead of being first affected1 as     
proposed by ,weismann1 and thus         
determining the variations1 are in      
reality modified as the result of the   
functional changes1 and are thus capable
 of transmitting these changes to       
succeeding generations4  ,in a          
subsequent article1 published in ,the   
,contemporary ,review for ,october1     
#ahid1 ,mr4 ,spencer recapitulates his  
argument in favor of the transmission of
 acquired characters1 and refers to     
observations made by ,professor ,hertwig
 and others1 which he regards as        
showing1 firstly1 that all the          

multiplying cells of the developing     
embryo are alike2 and1 secondly1 that   
the soma-cells of the adult severally   
retain1 in a latent form1 all the powers
 of the original embryo-cell1 facts     
which he rightly considers disproves    
,weismann's hypothesis of panmixia4 ,if 
this is surrendered1 then1 says ,mr4    
,spencer1 all that evidence collected by
 ,mr4 ,darwin and others1 regarded by   
them as proof of the inheritance of     
acquired characters1 which was          
cavalierly set aside on the strength of 
this alleged process of panmixia is     
reinstated4 ,and this reinstated        
evidence1 joined with much evidence     
since furnished1 suffices to establish  
the repudiated interpretation4  ,great  
stress was laid by ,professor ,weismann1
 as evidence in support of his theory1  
on the supposed fact that the           
inheritance of injuries sustained during
 life has not been proved4 ,particular  
attention has been paid to this point by
 ,dr4 ,eimer1 in relation to which he   

remarks3 ,that injuries incurred during 
life are but seldom transmitted to the  
offspring does not appear to me         
wonderful3 the inheritance of the       
complete form and complete activities of
 the organism1 which took root such     
enormously long periods of time ago1 and
 has been strengthened at each          
generation1 will1 as a rule1            
counterbalance in the offspring any such
 injuries incurred only once and not    
repeated4#gi3;,a ,this is the same      
argument as was used1 as quoted above1  
by ,professor ,cope1 to disprove the    
occurrence of birthmarks1 and ,dr4      
,eimer goes on to state that there are  
injuries which are not transmitted to   
offspring1 although they are constantly 
repeated1 as an instance of which he    
refers to the rupture of the hymen4 ,he 
adds1 however3 ,in such cases we must   
presume a specially effective power of  
correlative activity1 directed to the   
part affected and residing in the whole 
organism--the same compensating power   

which leads in lower animals1 during the
 life of the individual1 to the         
regeneration of parts which have been   
lost or artificially removed4 ,but these
 cases do not prove the general         
proposition that injuries are not       
inherited2 they do not prove that even  
injuries which have been repeated during
 a considerable period are not          
inherited4 ,hitherto little importance  
has been attached to the demonstration  
of the inheritance of injuries4 ,yet    
single cases of the inheritance of      
injuries only once incurred seem to me  
to be thoroughly authentic4             
,,congenital ,,deformities4--,professor 
,weismann1 in replying to the criticisms
 of ,professor ,virchow1 admitted the   
existence of a number of congenital     
deformities1 birthmarks and other       
individual peculiarities1 which are     
inherited1 but he affirms that we do not
 know from what causes they first       
appeared1 and that a great proportion of
 them proceed from the germ itself1 and 

are due1 therefore1 to alteration of the
 germinal substance4 ,there is no proof 
of this1 however1 according to ,dr4     
,eimer1#hj3;,a who appeals to various   
facts in support of his contention that 
injuries and diseases are inherited4 ,he
 thinks the degeneration of the tail in 
the higher mammals is a case in point1  
although it has required great periods  
of time to complete4 ,among other       
instances of inherited injuries         
mentioned by ,dr4 ,eimer is one in which
 a scar over the left ear and temple1   
caused to a girl by being thrown from a 
carriage1 was transmitted to her son and
 grandson1 the son of the latter also   
showing absence of hair on the injured  
spot1 although the defect gradually     
disappeared with him1 nearly a hundred  
years after the accident4 ,the case of  
,dr4 ,nosseler1 who inherited from his  
mother a crushed finger joint1 caused by
 an accident which happened two years   
before his birth1 would seem to be      
conclusive proof that injuries are      

transmissible4 ,dr4 ,eimer refers also  
to the breeding of short-tailed pointers
 from dogs whose tails had been         
artificially shortened2 and also to     
,brown-,sequard's experiments with      
guinea pigs1 in which epilepsy was      
inherited by their offspring1 who showed
 also the loss of certain phalanges1 or 
even whole toes of the hind feet1 the   
parents having suffered a similar loss  
owing to the division of the sciatic    
nerve4 ,he adds that numerous other     
instances of the inheritance of injuries
 have been recorded1 as inheritance of  
the artificially shortened tail of the  
bull1 of artificially produced          
hornlessness in cattle1 many cases of   
inheritance in man of curvature in a    
finger1 caused by injury1 inheritance of
 the absence of one eye which had been  
lost by the father during life or by    
disease1 etc4  ,the question of the     
inheritance of deformities and diseases1
 and the causes of the germ-variations  
on which it depends1 have been          

considered by ,zeigler1 whose           
conclusions1 as quoted by ,dr4 ,eimer   
7page #ahf71 are too important to be    
omitted4 ,the causes which ,zeigler     
assigns for the origin of such          
germ-variations are of three kinds4     
,these are3 #a--,union of sexual nuclei 
which are not adapted for copulation2   
#b--;,disturbance of the copulatory     
process itself2 #c--;,injurious         
influences which affect the sexual      
nuclei or the fertilized ovum at a time 
when separation of the sexual cells from
 the body cells has not yet occurred4   
,if the embryo is injuriously affected  
at a later period1 says ,zeigler1 either
 a malformation or a constitutional     
anomaly arises1 which is not inherited1 
or only the sexual cells are injured1 in
 which case the body-cells develop      
normally1 and a disturbance shows itself
 only in the development of the next    
generation4 ,the union of sexual nuclei 
not adapted for copulation appears1     
however1 to be the most frequent and    

most important cause of hereditary local
 malformations as well as of hereditary 
morbid tendencies1 or of a defect in any
 system of the whole organism4 ,if the  
nuclei are altogether unadapted to each 
other1 sterility occurs1 as in the      
sexual nuclei of distinct species4      
,,psychical ,,diseases4--,zeigler's     
conclusions are supported by reference  
to the enquiries of the distinguished   
psychiatrist1 ,d4 ,von ,krafft-,ebings1 
who has considered the heredity of      
psychical diseases1 and in connection   
therewith mentions three essential facts
 which it is necessary to keep in view  
when dealing with that subject4 ,the    
first of these facts is ,atavism1 by    
which the bodily and mental organization
 and character can be transmitted from  
the first to the third generation1      
without any necessity that the second   
and intermediate one should exhibit the 
peculiarities of the first--thus the    
condition of the life and health of the 
grandparents are of interest for us4    

,secondly1 ,only in rare cases is the   
actual disease transmitted in           
procreation 7congenital insanity1       
hereditary syphilis71 as a rule only the
 disposition thereto4 ,actual disease   
only occurs when accessory injurious    
influences produce an effect based upon 
that disposition4 4 4 4 ,we must1       
therefore1 consider also the state of   
health of the relatives 7uncles1        
cousins1 aunts71 and since here also the
 law of atavism holds good1 the possible
 diseases of great-uncles and           
great-aunts4 ,thirdly1 ,dr4 ,von        
,krafft-,ebings says1 ,only             
exceptionally does the same disease     
develop in ascendant as in descendant   
lines1 in consequence of the            
transmission of morbid dispositions4 ,on
 the contrary1 there exists a remarkable
 variability in the forms of disease    
which may almost claim the value of a   
law 7the law of polymorphism or         
transmutation74  ,this law is referred  
to by ,m4 ,ribot as one of the causes of

 deviation from heredity1 and he speaks 
of it as transformation4 ,as examples of
 transformation of heredity1 ,ribot     
refers to fixed ideas in the progenitor1
 which may become in the descendants    
melancholy1 taste for meditation1       
aptitude for the exact sciences1 energy 
of will1 etc42 the mania of progenitors 
may be changed in the descendants into  
aptitude for the arts1 liveliness of    
imagination1 quickness of mind1         
inconsistency in desires1 sudden and    
variable will4 ,just as real insanity1  
says ,moreau of ,tours1 may be          
hereditarily reproduced only under the  
form of eccentricity1 may be transmitted
 from progenitors to descendants only in
 modified form1 and in more or less     
mitigated character1 so a state of      
simple eccentricity in the parent--a    
state which is no more than a           
peculiarity or a strangeness of         
character--may in the children be the   
origin of true insanity4 ,thus in       
transformations of heredity we sometimes

 have the germ attaining its maximum    
intensity2 and again1 a maximum of      
activity may revert to the              
minimum4#hd3;,a  ,it should be borne in 
mind1 as mentioned by ,von              
,krafft-,ebings1#hd3;,b that everything 
which debilitates the nervous system and
 the generative powers of the parents1  
be it immaturity or too advanced old    
age1 previous debilitating diseases     
7typhus1 syphilis71 mercurial treatment1
 alcoholic and sexual excesses1         
overwork1 etc41 may give rise to        
neuropathic constitutions1 and thereby  
indirectly to every possible nervous    
disease in the descendants4             
,,telegony4--,there is one remarkable   
phenomenon1 spoken of by various writers
 as telegony1 which has an important    
bearing on the subject of the           
transmission of acquired characters1 and
 shows the action of prenatal influence 
in an unexpected form4 ,it is referred  
to by ,professor ,romanes1 when he says1
 ,it has not unfrequently been observed1

 at any rate in mammals1 that when a    
female has borne progeny to a male of   
one variety1 and subsequently bears     
progeny to a male of another variety1   
the younger progeny presents a more or  
less unmistakable resemblance to the    
father of the older one4#he3;,a ,this   
curious fact was considered1 in relation
 to plants especially1 by ,darwin1 who  
affirms1 as quoted by ,romanes1 that it 
is of the highest theoretical           
importance1 as ,the male element not    
only affects1 in accordance with its    
proper function1 the germ1 but at the   
same time various parts of the          
mother-plant1 in the same manner as it  
affects the same parts in the seminal   
offspring from the same two parents4 ,we
 thus learn that an ovule is not        
indispensable for the reception of the  
influence of the male element4  ,the    
curious phenomenon of telegony is not   
limited1 however1 to plants4 ,mr4       
,herbert ,spencer drew attention1 in    
,the ,contemporary ,review for ,march1  

#ahic1 to a case which has long been    
known to horsebreeders1 and which may be
 said to have become classic4 ,the facts
 were brought1 by the ,earl of ,morton1 
to the attention of the ,royal ,society 
of ,great ,britain1 as long ago as the  
year #ahbj4 ,the ,earl1 who possessed a 
male quagga1 said1 in a letter to the   
,president3 ,i tried to breed from the  
male quagga and a young chestnut mare of
 seven-eighths ,arabian blood1 and which
 had never been bred from2 the result   
was the production of a female hybrid1  
now five years old1 and bearing1 both in
 her form and in her colour1 very       
decided indications of her mixed origin4
 ,i subsequently parted with the        
seven-eighths ,arabian mare to ,sir     
,gore ,ouseley1 who has bred from her by
 a very fine black ,arabian horse4 ,i   
yesterday morning examined the produce1 
namely1 a two-year-old filly and a      
one-year-old colt4 ,they have the       
character of the ,arabian breed as      
decidedly as can be expected1 where     

fifteen-sixteenths of the blood are     
,arabian2 and they are fine specimens of
 that breed2 but both in their colour   
and in the hair of their manes they have
 a striking resemblance to the quagga4  
,their colour is bay1 marked more or    
less like the quagga in a darker tint4  
,both are distinguished by the dark line
 along the ridge of the back1 the dark  
stripes across the forehead1 and the    
dark bars across the back part of the   
legs4 ,mr4 ,spencer refers to an        
analogous case of the influence of a    
wild boar over the subsequent progeny of
 a domestic sow1 and it now appears that
 such effects are not so uncommon as the
 scientific world has supposed4         
,professor ,romanes made particular     
enquiries on this subject of            
professional and amateur breeders of    
animals1 and he says most of his        
correspondents are quite persuaded that 
it is of frequent occurrence1 many of   
them regard it as a general rule1 while 
some of them go so far as to make a     

point of always putting a mare1 bitch1  
etc41 to a good pedigree male in her    
first season1 so that her subsequent    
progenies may be benefited by his       
influence1 even though they be          
engendered by inferior sires4#hg3;,a    
,his own more modest conclusion is that 
the evidence he obtained is enough to   
prove the fact of a previous sire       
asserting his influence on a subsequent 
progeny1 although this fact is one of   
comparatively rare occurrence4  ,the    
,english ,darwinian met with only one   
case in which the offspring of a woman  
by a second husband1 who was a white    
man1 showed the influence of her first  
husband1 who was a negro4 ,mr4 ,herbert 
,spencer would seem to have been more   
successful4 ,in ,the ,contemporary      
,review for ,may1 #ahic1 ,mr4 ,spencer  
gives the result of his own enquiries as
 to the effect on a white woman's       
subsequent progeny of a previous union  
with a negro1 and he quotes the opinion 
of a distinguished correspondent1 that  

information given to him many years ago 
was to the effect that the children of  
white women by a white father had been  
repeatedly observed to show traces of   
black blood1 in cases where the woman   
had previous connexion with i4 e41 a    
child by a negro4 ,mr4 ,spencer refers  
also to ,professor ,marsh as authority  
for such a case1 and to the opinion of  
several medical professors who assured  
him1 through ,dr4 ,w4 ,j4 ,youmans1 that
 the alleged result is generally        
accepted as a fact4 ,he gives as        
authoritative testimony the following   
statement by ,dr4 ,austin ,flint1 taken 
from his ,text-book of ,human           
,physiology3 ,a peculiar and1 it seems  
to me1 an inexplicable fact is1 that    
previous pregnancies had an influence   
upon offspring4 ,this is well known to  
breeders of animals4 ,if pure blooded   
mares or bitches have been once covered 
by an inferior male1 in subsequent      
fecundations the young are likely to    
partake of the character of the first   

male1 even if they be bred with males of
 unimpeachable pedigree4 ,what the      
mechanism of the influence of the first 
conception is1 it is impossible to say2 
but the fact is incontestable4 ,the same
 influence is observed in the human     
subject4 ,a woman may have1 by a second 
husband1 children who resemble a former 
husband1 and this is particularly well  
marked in certain instances by the color
 of the hair and eyes4 ,a white woman   
who has had children by a negro may     
subsequently bear children to a white   
man1 these children presenting some of  
the unmistakable peculiarities of the   
negro race4  ,this phenomenon would     
alone seem to answer the question of the
 transmission of acquired characters in 
the affirmative1 for its explanation is 
to be found in the facts brought out by 
,darwin1 as to the action of foreign    
pollen on the structure of the mother   
plant2 in relation to which ,professor  
,romanes remarks3 ,when one variety     
fertilizes the ovules of another not    

unfrequently the influence extends      
beyond the ovules to the ovarium1 and   
even to the calyx and flower-stalk1 of  
the mother plant4 ,this influence1 which
 may affect the shape1 size1 colour1 and
 texture of the somatic tissues of the  
mother1 has been observed in a large    
number of plants belonging to many      
different orders4#hi3;,a ,may we not    
have here the explanation of the fact1  
which has frequently been pointed out1  
that husband and wife show a tendency to
 grow like each other1 both physically  
and mentally1 the resemblance after a   
long married life being sometimes very  
striking8   ,,power ,,of                
,,heredity4--,the most important fact   
brought out in the discussion of the    
possibility of the transmission of      
acquired characters is the power of     
heredity4 ,if organisms did not         
reproduce their own special             
characteristics1 there could be no      
fixity of form and no order in organic  
nature4 ,nevertheless1 if there were no 

change by individual modification or    
divergence1 in whatever way this may be 
rendered permanent in the race1 there   
could be no evolution4 ,hence we can    
say1 with ,dr4 ,eimer1 ,any one who thus
 completely renders allegiance to the   
supremacy of the principles of the unity
 of the organic world1 who rejects      
everything which contradicts that       
principle1 cannot help admitting that in
 truth1 as ,i assert1 the ultimate      
origin of the various kinships in the   
animal and vegetable kingdom is to be   
traced to individual differences1 and   
that the difference between the former1 
like the latter1 must be essentially    
determined by external conditions1 by   
the modification of organic growth4     
,the causes of diversity which interfere
 with the action of heredity may        
operate1 as we have seen1 at the moment 
of conception1 or subsequent to         
conception4 ,the former class of causes 
is of great importance1 in accordance   
with the principle1 laid down by ,m4    

,ribot1 of the disproportion of effects 
to causes1 and it is essential1         
therefore1 if children are to be        
well-born1 that their parents should be 
careful that at the moment of           
procreation they are fitted for the     
performance of so serious an act4 ,mr4  
,j4 ,f4 ,nisbet in his ,marriage and    
,heredity 7page #abf71 well observes1   
,twins usually bear a closer resemblance
 to each other than to their brothers   
and sisters born at a different period2 
and the reason generally assigned is    
that they are conceived under precisely 
similar conditions4 ,if so1 it follows  
that the difference existing between    
ordinary members of a family is due to  
their being born at considerable        
intervals of time and therefore under   
changed conditions on the part of their 
parents4   ,,sobriety ,,in ,,the        
,,father4--,especially does it concern  
the father1 who is the most active agent
 in reproduction1 to see that he is then
 in a fit condition4 ,this is quite     

apart from the question of the diseased 
condition of the organism treated of by 
,dr4 ,von ,krafft-,ebings1 and refers to
 temporary rather than to continuing    
causes4 ,sobriety is in this connection 
of great importance1 and1 as appears    
from a passage1 already quoted1 in      
,xenophon1 was insisted on at the time  
of procreation1 by the ancients4        
,zeigler points out1 as quoted by ,dr4  
,eimer1 that substances taken up from   
without1 as1 for example1 poisons1 are  
brought by the blood to the sexual      
cells1 and others produced in the body  
are conveyed to the sexual              
organs4#ia3;,a ,it is suggested that    
alcohol has such an effect1 and there   
can be no doubt that a tendency to the  
drinking habit may be implanted in a    
child by a parent intoxicated at the    
time of procreation1 with the           
possibility of its leading to other     
evils in succeeding generations1 ending 
in the early extinction of the family4  
,nisbet refers to several cases of this 

character1 and remarks 7page #aab7 that1
 ,there is a limit to the transmission  
of abnormal characters1 either in an    
original or in a disguised form4 ,always
 striving after perfection1 or rather   
uniformity of type1 ,nature either      
purifies a race of its physical and     
moral defects1 or1 if the type be too   
vicious1 exterminates it1 as in the case
 of the ,caesars1 the ,stuarts1 and many
 other historical families4 ,doutrebente
 came to the conclusion1 however1 that  
insanity--and doubtless it is true of   
other conditions--may be worked out of a
 family by the infusion of healthy      
blood1 except where both parents were   
insane1 in which case their offspring   
will become extinct4  ,the law of       
,leviticus 7chap4 x1 verse #i7 provides1
 under penalty of death1 that the       
priests should not drink wine or strong 
drink before going into the tent of     
meeting4 ,the more stringent regulations
 provided by this law in relation to    
intercourse between ,jehovah and ,his   

people require physical and moral       
perfection in those who approach the    
deity1 and they may be studied with     
advantage at the present day by those   
who wish to aid in the perfecting of the
 race4 ,the man who had a blemish was   
not allowed to go near the altar of     
sacrifice1 that the sanctuary might not 
be profaned2 and the sanctuary of the   
human organism should no less be        
preserved from profanation4             
,,sacredness ,,of ,,parentage4--,it     
would be well if the sacred act of      
procreation were performed more often in
 the spirit of the ancients1 who        
regarded marriage as a sacred           
institution1 designed not only for the  
perpetuation of the race1 but also for  
the carrying on of the religion of the  
domestic hearth4 ,the first-born child  
especially was considered to have been  
sent by the gods1 and care was taken1   
therefore1 that it should be well-born4 
,prayer and offerings were made to the  
spirits before the nuptial bed was      

approached1 and everything was done to  
ensure the gift they were asked for     
should be in every respect worthy of    
them4 ,among the ancient ,hebrews the   
first-born of all that openeth the womb 
was dedicated to ,jehovah 7,exodus      
xxxiv1 #ai71 and hence the rights of the
 eldest son could not be defeated by his
 father3 for he is the beginning of his 
strength 7,deut4 xxi1 #ag74  ,the       
disturbance of uterine existence between
 conception and birth is that which has 
engaged most attention1 and the fact    
that such disturbances can take place   
requires that the expectant mother      
should be protected from anything that  
can so act on her own organism as to    
prevent the due operation of the law of 
heredity4 ,the precautions taken by     
primitive peoples in relation to food   
may have some foundation in fact1 and   
any food should be avoided by the       
enceinte woman which will injuriously   
influence the system1 or give rise to   
organic disturbances that may affect the

 blood by which the embryo is nourished4
 ,emotional disturbances are to be no   
less avoided1 as through the nervous    
system they act on the blood itself4    
,how far the action of the emotions can 
influence the physical organism has     
become a moot question with             
psychologists1 who now seem inclined to 
think that movements are not caused by  
the emotions1 but are aroused reflexly  
by the object4 ,thus1 if the sight of a 
disagreeable object affects by reflex   
action the muscular system of the       
mother1 it will arouse in her a         
concomitant emotion1 which being        
transmitted to the embryo may act on its
 muscular system1 leaving the impression
 as a birthmark1 which may be regarded  
as a reflection from the cerebral nerve 
center of the mother1 whether emotion is
 the cause or effect of muscular        
movement4  ,if the unborn child can be  
affected injuriously by disturbances of 
the mother's environment1 it is         
reasonable to suppose that the child can

 be influenced in the opposite direction
 by making that environment as conducive
 to the normal activity of the material 
organism as possible4 ,the story of     
,jacob and ,laban1 referred to at the   
beginning of this chapter1 affords an   
important lesson as to the surroundings 
with which the wife should be provided4 
,the bedchamber itself may become a     
means of influencing offspring for good 
or evil1 and hence it should contain    
only what is agreeable to the senses1   
and capable of giving rise to pleasant  
imaginings4 ,especially should this be  
the case where a woman is of a highly   
sensitive nature4 ,impressions received 
from without depend largely for their   
force and influence1 however1 on the    
condition of the receptive mind1 and    
beautiful surroundings cannot make up   
for the want of inward harmony4 ,a happy
 and contented mind is the best         
guarantee that the due action of the law
 of heredity will not be disturbed at   
the time of conception or afterwards4   

,thus1 bickerings between husband and   
wife must have a disturbing effect1     
especially if carried into the          
bedchamber4 ,the sage of old said3 ,let 
not the sun go down upon thy wrath1 and 
parents should make it a point of duty1 
for the sake of their future offspring1 
never to let the disputes of the        
daytime--if unfortunately they occur--be
 carried into the night4 ,the bedchamber
 is the place for mental as well as     
physical repose4  ,the surest guarantee 
against the occurrence of conditions    
which may injuriously affect the future 
offspring1 either at the time of        
procreation1 or during the subsequent   
period of gestation1 is to be found in  
the general life of the parents4 ,this  
will give the general impress which     
affects the disposition of the child as 
a whole1 and it will show what are the  
conditions of the family life under the 
influence of which it was born4 ,the    
nature of the home is thus an important 
factor in determining that of the       

offspring1 and it will necessarily be a 
reflection of the general character of  
those on whom it depends4 ,a noble life 
in the parent will bear fruit in the    
physical1 intellectual and moral        
character of the child1 and although    
this is true in relation to the father  
as well as to the mother1 it is doubly  
true as to the latter1 seeing that the  
mother alone is the bearer and nourisher
 of offspring during the period of      
gestation4 ,during this period the child
 acquires probably many of the          
characters which it inherits from its   
mother1 and the maternal influence may  
thus be extended to the period of       
lactation4 ,the importance attached to  
fosterage1 where this practice became an
 established custom1 as with the early  
,irish and ,arabs1 would seem to prove  
that the characteristics of the nurse   
were to some extent transmitted to the  
child with the milk4 ,the early ,arabs  
regarded the milk-tie as constituting a 
real unity of flesh and blood between   

the foster mother and the foster child1 
and between foster children1 so much so 
as to be a bar to marriage4             
,,self-,,control4--,one very serious    
matter which should be kept in mind by  
an expectant mother is the duty of      
exercising self-control4 ,the influence 
of this principle in relation to the    
general life and conduct has been       
repeatedly pointed out1 and it is       
referred to by ,jennie ,chandler in ,the
 ,journal of ,hygiene for ,august1      
#ahie1 where we are told3 ,the power of 
self-mastery is believed by scientists  
to be the last one acquired by the human
 race in the process of evolution1 and  
the last powers acquired are not so     
firmly fixed in our natures as some     
which have been longer in our           
possession4 ,the result is1 it becomes  
deranged more readily than more fixed   
forces4 ,in many cases1 self-control has
 never been acquired at all1 and so the 
person can only partly master himself4  
,as a rule1 children have little of this

 power4 ,they are like animals4 ,little 
by little1 as they grow older1 it grows1
 and in some it becomes so well         
developed that it is almost perfect4 ,in
 others1 like music in those who never  
acquire it1 or any other faculty1 it    
never becomes a potent factor in life4  
,dr4 ,chandler adds1 ,woman as well as  
man needs to learn self-mastery4 ,with a
 large amount of feeling in her nature1 
it is very hard for her to do it1 but   
she should try4 ,too many of us go      
through life never making any effort to 
be our own masters4 ,we give way to     
caprices1 whims1 feelings1 follies1 far 
more than is good for our health4       
,hysteria gives us a good example of the
 loss of self-control4 ,any uncontrolled
 passion gives an equally vivid example4
 ,men and women often say they can't    
govern themselves2 that is admitting    
they have defects of character which are
 their masters4 ,they ought to make     
effort and see if they are not mistaken4
 ,the worst effect of lack of           

self-control are on the health4 ,it     
allows every kind of bad habit in       
eating1 drinking1 dressing1 sleeping1 to
 gain possession of the person1 and the 
result is a weak instead of a strong    
character4  ,considering the effect     
which the organic disposition of the    
mother has on the future offspring1 it  
is evident that whether a child shall   
have the power of self-control depends  
very largely on the mother herself1 and 
it is all-important1 therefore1 that she
 should have and exercise that power    
herself4 ,as ,dr4 ,chandler remarks1 ,no
 matter how much you have been to       
school1 how many college degrees you    
have1 you are not educated till you have
 a reasonable control of your own       
nature1 and can direct your own lives   
rather than have them directed for you  
by your feelings and emotions4 ,this    
truth obtains fresh significance when we
 consider that a woman's conduct affects
 the direction not only of her own life1
 but the lives of her future children1  

and possibly of succeeding generations4 
,although much has yet to be done to    
prove the actual effects on offspring of
 the conduct of its parents1 enough is  
known to establish the fact that both   
the general disposition and the         
particular conduct of father or mother  
may interfere with the orderly action of
 the law of heredity4 ,this law ensures 
the inheritance of race and individual  
characters2 but when these are good1 a  
noble life will cause the tendencies    
towards good to be still further        
strengthened in offspring1 and if they  
are evil1 then the disposition will     
receive an inclination in the opposite  
direction1 or1 at least1 the further    
development of evil will be arrested4   
,on the other hand1 a degrading life    
will produce bad effects on offspring1  
causing deterioration of the organic    
disposition and strengthening the       
tendency to evil it may have inherited1 
or weakening its tendencies towards the 
good4   ,,footnotes3  #eg3;,a ,heredity4

 ,by ,th4 ,ribot 7,new ,york3 ,d4       
,appleton  ,co41 #ahge71 p4 #bja4       
#ei3;,a ,the ,origin of the ,fittest4   
,by ,e4 ,d4 ,cope 7,d4 ,appleton  ,co41 
,new ,york74 ,page #djh4  #fe3;,a       
,pioneering in ,new ,guinea4 ,by ,james 
,chalmers4 #ahhg4 ,page #afe4  #ff3;,a  
,development of ,kinship and ,marriage4 
,page #bfd4  #fg3;,a ,researches into   
the ,early ,history of ,mankind4 ,page  
#bib4  #ga3;,a ,cope's ,origin of the   
,fittest4 7,redway1 ,london4 #ahhi47    
,page #djg4  #gb3;,a ,organic           
,evolution4 ,translated by ,j4 ,t4      
,cunningham1 ,m4 ,a4 7,london1          
,macmillan  ,co41 #ahij47 ,page #hf4    
#gc3;,a ,examination of ,weismannism4   
,the ,open ,court ,publishing ,co41     
,chicago4 #ahic4  #gg3;,a ,the          
,contemporary ,review1 ,september1      
#ahic4  #gi3;,a ,organic ,evolution4    
,translated by ,j4 ,t4 ,cunningham1 ,m4 
,a4 ,page #ac4  #hj3;,a ,organic        
,evolution1 page #agf4  #hd3;,a ,organic
 ,evolution1 page #baa4  #hd3;,b ,op4   

cit41 page #bja4  #he3;,a ,examination  
of ,weismannism1 page #gg4  #hg3;,a     
,examination of ,weismannism1 page #bb4 
#hi3;,a ,examination of ,weismannism1   
page #gi4  #ia3;,a ,organic ,evolution1 
page #ahg4     ,,heredity ,,and         
,,education4  ,a ,lecture delivered     
before the ,brooklyn ,ethical           
,association4   ,in presenting the      
subject of heredity and its relation to 
education1 it seems to me best to       
consider first what is meant by the     
term1 and after this the views held on  
the subject by our leading              
evolutionists1 when its relation to     
education will be easier and1 ,i hope1  
more satisfactory4  ,in common parlance1
 heredity is the transmission of any    
trait or peculiarity from the parent to 
the offspring1 as the color of the hair1
 the form of the nose1 the tones of the 
voice2 or any disease1 or any special   
character that may exist in either      
parent4  ,if a horse has a star on its  
forehead like one of its ancestors1 we  

say it is due to heredity4 ,if an ox has
 color marks on its body like its       
parent1 it is a case of heredity4 ,if a 
human being has a disease which his     
ancestors had1 very often he declares he
 inherited it from them1 even if it be  
only a common catarrh4 ,but this is a   
narrow view of the subject1 and does not
 include all that a biologist means when
 he uses this word4  ,by heredity he    
understands the production from a       
fertilized ovum of an individual1 with  
all the general characteristics of      
structure and function of body and brain
 of the species to which it belongs4 ,it
 means that the offspring1 however much 
they may vary in general characters1    
will always be of the same species as   
the parents4 ,the offspring of dogs will
 be dogs2 of wolves1 wolves2 of negroes1
 negroes1 and of white men1 white men4  
,anything less is not heredity in its   
full sense4  ,darwin1 whom we all love  
and honor1 says3 ,the whole subject of  
inheritance is wonderful1 and in this he

 but voices the universal sentiment of  
those who have given any serious        
consideration to it4 ,let me try to show
 you how wonderful it is by an          
illustration4 ,from very ancient times  
the horse has been the constant         
companion of man4 ,this animal1 with his
 splendid muscular system1 the most     
perfect1 perhaps1 of any creature1 has  
for his food and shelter1 and not always
 the best of these1 rendered mankind    
almost infinite service4 ,now1 every    
horse that has ever been born into the  
world began life as a minute ovum1 which
 under the microscope presents no       
appearance of a horse1 or any other     
animal1 and1 strange to say1 this ovum  
is1 to all appearance1 like the ovum of 
other animals1 and no amount of study1  
without knowing its origin1 can decide  
whether it will develop as a dog1 an ox1
 a horse or a man4 ,after1 however1 it  
has gone through the process of         
gestation1 this apparently simple egg   
becomes an animal of a very complex     

nature1 with heart1 lungs1 brain1 eyes1 
ears1 mouth1 stomach1 and blood vessels1
 all where they should be and ready to  
perform their functions2 with mental    
traits of a peculiar kind which adapt   
him to the service which man requires4  
,nay more3 ,in the process of the       
evolution of the horse1 little by little
 he has changed in various ways1 and    
many1 if not all of these changes in his
 bodily constitution and in his mental  
characteristics1 which have been found  
useful or made him more serviceable to  
man1 his greater docility1 his increased
 size1 his enormous strength and speed1 
his wonderful beauty1 through a wise    
selection and the weeding out of the    
unfit on the part of the breeder1 have  
been transmitted through heredity to his
 offspring1 so that today only a        
paleontologist can tell us if he finds  
the remains of a primitive horse1 that  
it belongs to the same class of animals 
as the horse of our time4               
,,theories4--,our theories of heredity  

will depend on the extent of our        
knowledge1 and especially our knowledge 
of embryology4 ,in the last century     
knowledge on this subject was very      
meagre1 especially that part of         
embryology which could only be studied  
with the microscope2 consequently the   
views of scientists and others of that  
time were exceedingly crude4 ,the most  
important was that of ,malphigi and     
,bonnet1 who maintained that the        
miniature animal existed in the egg2    
that fertilization by the male element  
simply furnished it with food for       
growth1 and that this was added to and  
stored up in its interstices4 ,cuvier1  
,haller and ,leibnitz adopted           
substantially these views4 ,the latter  
found them to support his opinion that  
everything was the result of growth from
 monads1 and that there was no such     
thing in all nature as generation4      
,such a theory was very simple1 but it  
explained nothing except the bare       
production of offspring4 ,it gave no    

clue to their endless variations1 nor to
 the fact that they often resembled the 
father more than the mother4 ,according 
to this theory the offspring should     
resemble the mother1 as the complete    
individual is formed by her and should  
be in her image4  ,leeuwenhock1 one of  
the early microscopists1 by the aid of  
his lenses1 opened a new world to       
mankind1 and discovered the sperm cells 
to be active1 living1 moving elements1  
and he gave a death-blow to the belief  
that the perfect organism exists in the 
ovum2 but he went to the opposite       
extreme1 and maintained that it exists  
in the male cell and that it is only fed
 and developed by the female4 ,even     
today we find in a vague way both these 
theories held by educated persons4  ,we 
are indebted to ,harvey in the early    
part of the eighteenth century for      
advocating the view held by ,aristotle1 
now known as ,epigenesis1 and combatting
 the view of growth from a miniature1   
but already perfectly formed animal1 to 

a visible one4 ,epigenesis consists in  
the successive differentiation from the 
relatively homogeneous elements as found
 in the egg1 to the complicated parts   
and structure as seen in the offspring4 
,according to ,huxley1 this work of     
,harvey alone would have entitled him to
 recognition as one of the founders of  
biological science1 had he not          
immortalized himself as the discoverer  
of the circulation of the blood4  ,not  
long after ,harvey's publication1       
,casper ,frederick ,wolf established the
 theory of epigenesis upon a firm       
foundation1 where it still remains4     
,the doctrine of epigenesis has very    
much complicated the whole question of  
heredity4 ,no wonder even so great a    
mind as that of ,darwin exclaimed1 ,the 
whole subject is wonderful4 ,how can an 
egg1 which in structure is comparatively
 simple1 an aggregation of cells1 not   
one of which bears the slightest        
resemblance to any organ in the body1   
develop into the perfect individual8    

,how can this egg1 formed in special    
organs1 develop other organs than those 
like the ones in which it was formed8   
,how can sexual cells develop brain     
cells1 with their wonderful modes of    
action8  ,we cannot explain the         
philosophy of heredity without being    
able to answer these questions2 but     
difficult as is the problem1 our        
biologists have made various attempts at
 an explanation4 ,i cannot go over all  
the various speculations1 but only those
 most intimately connected with the     
subject will be mentioned4  ,the first  
is ,darwin's own attempt at an          
explanation by the theory of pangenesis1
 or genesis from every part4 ,he saw the
 necessity of having in the sexual cells
 some power or force to represent the   
other organs and functions of the body1 
else how could these organs be formed in
 the embryo8 ,pangenesis was supposed to
 be accomplished as follows3 ,every     
organ through its cells gives off       
gemmules4 ,these are inconceivably      

small1 too small for any microscopical  
vision2 also inconceivably great in     
numbers1 and with great power of growth 
and multiplication4 ,they pass from the 
various organs in which they are formed 
to the special sex organs for generating
 the sexual cells2 some of them are     
stored up as representatives of the     
various organs from which they have been
 given off4 ,the consequence is that    
every egg has in it something from every
 organ in the body of both parents which
 is able1 during gestation1 to develop  
into that organ4  ,according to this    
theory1 for instance1 if no gemmules are
 given off from the brain1 then no brain
 can be developed from the egg1 and so  
of other organs4 ,as in a representative
 government1 all parts of the country   
send representatives to the capitol to  
do the bidding of the people1 so every  
organ of the body sends representatives 
to the sexual cells to form their       
respective organs2 without them these   
organs would not be formed4  ,there are 

many objections to pangenesis1 but they 
need not be named here4 ,it occurred to 
,galton1 whose studies in heredity have 
been more prolific of good than those of
 any other man1 to test it by practical 
experiment4 ,if these gemmules are      
circulating in the blood of animals     
before being stored up in the sexual    
cells1 by transfusing blood from one    
variety of any species to another it    
ought to affect the offspring of this   
other4 ,for his test cases he chose     
eighteen silvergrey rabbits which breed 
true1 and into their bodies he          
transfused the blood of other different 
varieties1 in several cases replacing   
one-half of this fluid4 ,there were     
eighty-six offspring bred at once from  
these silvergrey rabbits1 and all true  
silvergreys4 ,the theory did not work4  
,but if it did not work in practice1 it 
certainly worked on the intellects of   
biologists everywhere1 exactly what     
,darwin wished2 it set them to thinking4
 ,it acted as a ferment1 so to say1 and 

brought forth a rich harvest in         
speculation if not in actual            
knowledge4#ajf3;,a   ,,continuity ,,of  
,,the ,,germ-,,plasm4--,the only other  
theory which ,i shall mention is that of
 ,weismann1 which has been before the   
public for more than a decade1 and it is
 safe to say it has produced a more     
profound impression upon biologists than
 all others4 ,it has its basis in what  
he calls continuity of the germ-plasm4  
,by the germ-plasm is meant that part of
 the germ cell containing all the       
chemical and physical properties1       
including the molecular structure1 which
 enables it to become1 under appropriate
 conditions1 a new individual of the    
same species as the parents4 ,in it lies
 hidden all the characteristics both of 
the species and of the future           
individual4 ,in it lies all the         
phenomena of heredity4 ,it is the       
product of the coalescence of the male  
and female elements requisite for       
reproduction4 ,only1 however1 in the    

nuclear substance is to be found the    
hereditary tendencies4 ,now1 this       
germ-plasm is continuous1 that is to    
say1 it contains not only material from 
both parents1 but from grandparents and 
greatgrandparents1 and so on            
indefinitely4 ,this germ-plasm is       
exceedingly minute in quantity1 but has 
great power of growth4 ,not all is used 
up in the production of any individual1 
but some is left over and stored up for 
the next generation4 ,the germ-plasm    
might be represented as a long creeping 
root1 from which arise at intervals all 
the individuals of successive           
generations4 ,the amount of ancestral   
germ-plasm in each fertilized ovum is   
calculated in the same way that stock   
breeders calculate the amount of blood  
of any ancestor running in any          
individual4 ,for instance3 ,the         
germ-plasm contributed by the father and
 mother is each one-half2 each          
grandparent one fourth1 and so on4 ,ten 
generations back each ancestor          

contributes only one part in one        
thousand and twenty-four parts4 ,this   
continuity has by some been called the  
immortality of the germ-plasm4          
,theoretically1 the original ,adam and  
,eve have contributed an infinitesimal  
part4 ,this probably explains why there 
is so much of the original ,adam in most
 of us4 ,by it we are able to explain   
that wonderful fact of atavism1 or the  
appearance of characters from a remote  
ancestor in offspring4 ,some of the     
germ-plasm from this ancestor by some   
means has had an opportunity to grow    
rapidly and contribute more than its    
share in the production of the          
individual in which it appears4  ,it    
also enables us to explain the fact that
 no two individuals are quite alike1 but
 that there is constant variation4 ,each
 person is the product of a multitude of
 ancestors1 and the germ-plasm which    
produced them is never mixed1 in quite  
the same proportion1 nor do the         
different parts grow with quite the same

 vigor4  ,it was on this theory of the  
continuity of the germ-plasm that       
,weismann built his doctrine of the     
non-transmission of acquired characters4
 ,on this subject he says3 ,hence it    
follows that the transmission of        
acquired characters is an impossibility1
 for if the germ-plasm is not formed    
anew in each individual1 but is derived 
from that which preceded it1 its        
structure1 and above all1 its molecular 
constitution1 cannot depend upon the    
individual in which it happens to occur1
 but such an individual only forms1 as  
it were1 the nutritive soil at the      
expense of which it grows1 while the    
latter possessed its character from the 
beginning1 that is1 before the          
commencement of growth4 ,of this1       
however1 ,i will speak later4   ,a      
,,rational ,,view ,,of ,,heredity4--,i  
might continue giving other theories of 
heredity--,haeckel's1 for instance--or  
the metaphysical theory1 but it is      
hardly necessary4 ,i do not accept in   

full any of them4 ,their authors1 it    
seems to me1 have not worked along the  
lines of evolution1 but have gone       
further than was necessary into the     
fields of speculation4 ,darwin1 in his  
theory of ,pangenesis1 admitted this    
frankly1 and yet he clung to the idea   
with great tenacity4 ,if we take the    
unicellular organisms which multiply by 
division1 we may see that heredity is   
simple4 ,one unicellular individual     
growing larger than is convenient1      
divides into two4 ,each is like the     
other4 ,it could hardly be different4   
,reproduction by spores or buds is      
practically the same thing4 ,the spores 
or buds are minute particles of the     
parent organism4 ,when it comes to the  
coalescence of the germ and sperm       
elements from two organisms1 the        
phenomena become more complicated1 and  
it is still more so as the animal rises 
in the scale of creation2 but ,i believe
 the processes of organic evolution have
 gone on so slowly that the sexual cells

 have acquired the power to transmit the
 whole organism without the necessity of
 the germ-plasm being continued from    
parent to offspring indefinitely1 and   
also without the aid of pangenesis4     
,the egg has acquired a tendency to     
develop in a certain direction4 ,just   
how we cannot tell1 further than to say 
that it was probably the result of      
variation first and natural selection   
selecting out those variations most     
suitable4 ,it is this tendency to vary  
that gives rise to many of the phenomena
 of heredity4 ,the subject is1 for the  
present1 beyond our power to settle     
satisfactorily1 and so hypotheses must  
be resorted to4 ,the sexual cells1      
comparatively simple in anatomical      
structure1 must be highly complex in    
their molecular structure2 and the more 
highly evolved the organism1 the more   
complex becomes this molecular          
structure4 ,if it were possible to study
 this molecular structure we should be  
able to understand the whole subject far

 better than is possible now4 ,but this 
is not possible1 and there is little    
hope that we shall ever be able to      
accomplish it4   ,,heredity ,,and ,,the 
,,education ,,of ,,children4--,the next 
question which comes up for             
consideration is that of the education  
of children and its relation to         
heredity4 ,this brings us at once to the
 problem as to whether acquired         
characters are transmitted to offspring 
or not4 ,if acquired characters are     
transmitted1 the relation of heredity to
 education must be very close and       
important4 ,if acquired characters are  
not inherited1 then heredity and        
education have a very different         
relation4 ,that acquired characters are 
transmitted has long been believed4 ,it 
was the belief of ,lamarck4 ,he tried to
 explain the structure of the organism  
by this principle4 ,the illustration of 
the long neck of the giraffe is familiar
 to every one4 ,it originated by the    
constant stretching of this part to     

obtain food from the trees4 ,in times of
 scarcity1 he had to exert himself in   
this way still more to reach the higher 
branches4 ,the young of the giraffe had 
longer necks than their parents because 
of the efforts of the latter in this    
way4 ,so the keen sight of birds1 it was
 argued1 was acquired in the same       
manner4 ,the hawk had to exercise his   
eyes most vigorously to discern his prey
 at a distance1 and his offspring       
inherited this keenness of sight        
acquired by the exercise of his         
ancestors4  ,darwin believed that the   
effects of the exercise of any part were
 transmitted4 ,he says3 ,we may feel    
assured that the inherited effects of   
the use and disuse of parts will have   
done much in the same direction with    
natural selection in modifying man's    
structure of body4  ,we may say that    
this belief has been held by the common 
people1 uneducated in science4 ,they not
 unfrequently get at truths in a rude   
way long before the scientists do4 ,many

 parents tell us their children are     
strongly influenced by some particular  
occupation of the mother during         
pregnancy4 ,so strong is this belief1   
that many mothers are in our times      
trying to influence the character of    
their unborn children by special modes  
of life1 by cultivating music or art1 or
 science1 in order to give the child a  
love for these pursuits4  ,it is by     
,herbert ,spencer that this has been    
most ably presented4 ,indeed1 he holds  
that there is no explanation of         
evolution without the transmission of   
the effects of the use and disuse of    
parts4 ,his words are3 ,if there has    
been no transmission of acquired        
character there has been no evolution4  
,he also says3 ,if we go back to the    
genesis of the human type from some     
lower type of primates1 we see that     
while the little toe has ceased to be of
 any use for climbing purposes1 it has  
not come into any considerable use for  
walking or running4 ,it is manifest that

 the great toes have been immensely     
developed since there took place the    
change from arboreal to terrestrial     
habits4 ,a study of the mechanism of    
walking shows why this has happened4    
,stability requires that the line of    
direction--the vertical line1 let fall  
from the center of gravity--shall fall  
within the base1 and the walking shall  
be brought at each step within the area 
of support1 or so near that any tendency
 to fall may be checked at the next     
step4 ,a necessary result is that if at 
each step the chief stress of support is
 thrown on the outer side of the foot1  
the body must be swayed so that the line
 of direction may fall within the       
outside of the foot1 or close to it2 and
 when the next step is taken it must be 
similarly swayed in an opposite         
direction1 so that the outer side of the
 foot may bear the weight4 ,that is to  
say1 the body must oscillate from side  
to side1 or waddle4 ,the movement of the
 duck when walking shows what happens   

when the points of support are far      
apart4 ,this kind of movement conflicts 
with efficient locomotion4 ,there is a  
waste of muscular energy in making these
 lateral movements1 and they are at     
variance with the forward movement4 ,we 
may infer1 then1 that the developing man
 profited by throwing the stress as much
 as possible on the inner side of the   
feet1 and was especially led to do this 
when going fast1 which enabled him to   
abridge the oscillations1 as indeed we  
see it now in the drunken man4 ,then    
there was thrown a continually          
increasing stress upon the inner digits 
as they progressively developed from the
 efforts of use1 until now the inner    
digits1 so large compared with the      
outer1 bear the greater part of the     
weight1 and being relatively near one   
another render needless any swaying of  
the body from side to side in walking4  
,but what has meanwhile happened to the 
outer digits8 ,evidently as fast as the 
great toes have come more and more into 

play and the small ones have gone more  
and more out of play1 dwindling for--how
 long shall we say8--perhaps #ajj1jjj   
years4 ,in other and simpler words1 the 
great toe of man has wonderfully        
developed since he began to walk        
upright4 ,this has been from greater    
use1 and the transmission of the effects
 of this use to offspring4 ,the small   
toe has decreased in size               
proportionately4 ,this we can reasonably
 infer has been the result of disuse1   
the effects of which were also          
transmitted to offspring4  ,a still more
 remarkable illustration of the effects 
of use and disuse is seen in the sense  
of touch in different parts of the body4
 ,prof4 ,weber1 in his laboratory for   
experimental psychology1 has worked out 
this difference most minutely4 ,he finds
 that by taking a pair of compasses1 the
 points of which are less than          
one-twelfth of an inch apart1 the end of
 the forefinger is not able to          
distinguish more than one point4 ,going 

to the middle of the back we have the   
least discriminating power in the skin1 
for the points must be separated two and
 one half inches before the nerves can  
decide that there are two4 ,any one may 
test this on himself4 ,between these    
extremes we have many differences4 ,the 
end of the nose has four times as great 
power of discrimination as the forehead4
 ,when we come to the tip of the tongue1
 we find it far excels any part of the  
body in its power of tactual            
discrimination1 it being twice that of  
the forefinger4 ,in every case we find  
there is greatest delicacy of touch in  
those parts where this sense has been   
most exercised4 ,the tongue is being    
constantly exercised on our food1 on the
 roof of the mouth1 the teeth1 etc4 ,it 
is rarely idle4 ,there is in man no     
advantage for his survival1 ,mr4        
,spencer asserts1 by having such a      
sensitive tongue4 ,he could get on just 
as well without it4 ,he regards it as a 
case where the exercise of a function   

has exalted it remarkably1 and this     
exaltation has been transmitted to      
offspring4 ,natural selection1 he       
thinks1 is not sufficient to account for
 it4 ,natural selection only preserves  
those characters which will give their  
possessor some advantage in the struggle
 for existence4  ,still another argument
 is drawn from the whale4 ,this monster 
once lived1 it is believed1 partly on   
land1 probably on low land near water1  
and must have been smaller than now4 ,it
 had hind legs2 but since it has lived  
continuously in the water its tail has  
so developed as to make a far better    
organ of locomotion1 and the legs have  
dwindled from disuse1 so that now there 
is only a remnant left1 and this is     
hidden beneath the skin4 ,the tail has  
become more efficient from use1 and this
 has been transmitted so that all whales
 are born with well developed tails4    
,the legs have dwindled for want of use 
until they have almost disappeared2 and 
this effect of disuse has also been     

transmitted to offspring4  ,another     
illustration is furnished by ,havelock  
,charles1 an ,english surgeon1 who has  
spent much time among the ,punjab tribes
 in ,india1 and studied them            
anthropologically4 ,his account is given
 in ,the ,journal of ,anatomy1 in a     
paper on the structure of the skeletons 
of these people4 ,it appears they have  
facets on the bones1 fitting them for   
the sitting posture4 ,these do not      
develop after birth1 but are seen in the
 fetus4 ,it seems hardly possible that  
these facets could have any other origin
 except by transmission after being     
acquired by ages of use of sitting      
posture4  ,another argument is drawn    
from the coadaptation of parts4 ,we know
 that the male sheep1 likewise the goat1
 the stag1 and the males of many other  
animals1 have large horns4 ,they are    
supposed to be useful in fighting with  
rivals in order to secure as large a    
number of females as possible4 ,now     
these large horns require at the same   

time a greater development of the bones 
of the head to hold them1 also larger   
and stronger vertebrae of the neck and  
back1 and larger muscles of these parts 
to maintain and use them effectively4   
,in other words1 there must be          
coadaptation of all the parts1 otherwise
 these larger horns would be an         
incumbrance and useless4 ,now1 if we    
accept the theory of the inheritance of 
acquired characters1 this is all simple4
 ,the use of the head in butting against
 other males exercises all these parts  
simultaneously1 and they develop equally
 and at the same time4 ,if1 however1    
inheritance has no part in the matter1  
then we must fall back on variation in  
the germ-plasm and natural selection for
 an explanation2 but it is difficult or1
 as ,spencer says1 impossible to        
conceive of variation producing large   
and heavy horns on these animals and at 
the same time coadaptation of all the   
other parts to hold and use them4       
,sometimes coadaptation does not take   

place1 as in the common brook crab1     
familiar to every country boy4 ,its     
foreclaws or fingers are out of all     
proportion to the rest of the leg1 and  
its awkwardness is well known4 ,the     
lobster is another case4 ,even in human 
beings we have instances of             
non-coadaptation1 as where the head and 
brain are out of proportion to the size 
of the body1 or the reverse4 ,i need not
 multiply instances4  ,now1 if acquired 
characters are transmitted1 any system  
of training which exists for a          
considerable time must necessarily      
appear in the structure of the body and 
in the character4 ,if the training is   
not in accord with the laws of          
evolution1 it causes the race to deviate
 from the true line of progress1 and by 
just so much hinder advancement4 ,if1 on
 the other hand1 our systems of         
education conform to correct principles1
 progress is advanced by them4  ,quite  
recently an entirely new theory has     
grown up1 opposed to ,lamarckianism1 and

 the theory of the transmission of      
acquired characters4 ,it has been before
 the world little more than a decade and
 has made remarkable progress1 though it
 is too soon to say it has been         
established beyond dispute4 ,prof4      
,weismann1 its author1 is well equipped 
as a biologist to maintain and defend   
it4 ,i have already stated briefly his  
theory of heredity1 namely1 that the    
germ-plasm is continuous from parent to 
offspring4 ,this necessitates a         
remodeling of commonly accepted views1  
an entire giving up of the ,lamarckian  
belief that use and disuse have their   
effect on progeny4 ,if the germ-plasm   
continues from one generation to        
another1 then it must already have been 
formed1 or at least provided for1 even  
before the birth of the parents4 ,they  
may modify it1 through growth and       
nutrition1 but not through exercise of  
any function4 ,prof4 ,weismann went at  
the demonstration of his views in a     
thoroughly scientific way by the making 

of experiments on living animals and the
 collection of facts4 ,from his         
experiments it is now pretty well       
established that wounds and injuries1   
which he considers to be acquired       
characters1 are not transmitted4 ,no    
matter for how many generations you cut 
off the tails of dogs1 cats1 horses or  
sheep1 the effects of this removal do   
not appear in the progeny4 ,most parents
 have some mark on the body1 received in
 early life1 some cut or bruise1 some   
scratch1 but their children do not      
inherit them4 ,the famous experiment of 
cutting off the tails of mice1 for      
generation after generation1 and then   
breeding from them was one of           
,weismann's methods of substantiating   
the theory that acquired character is   
not inherited4 ,the offspring of these  
mutilated mice had as long tails as if  
those of their parents had not been     
removed4 ,the explanation is1 the       
germ-plasm was not in any way affected  
by the bodily mutilation4 ,the practice 

of the ,flathead ,indian is another     
case4 ,the children of parents whose    
heads have been artificially flattened  
are not affected by it4 ,the small feet 
of ,chinese women1 made so by binding   
them and preventing their growth1 may   
also be mentioned4   ,,intellectual     
,,acquirements4--,not to depend on such 
evidence1 however1 he adduces that of a 
very different character1 namely1 the   
non-transmission of intellectual        
acquirements4 ,language is an example4  
,although human beings have been        
communicating their thoughts to each    
other from very ancient times by speech1
 yet every child has to learn how to do 
this for itself4 ,no matter how many    
languages the parents master1 their     
children have to go over all the ground 
the parents did1 make all the toil and  
effort to learn to speak4 ,the children 
of the most gifted linguists1 if brought
 up without coming in contact with those
 who can teach them to talk1 will never 
learn a single word4 ,there are1 it is  

claimed1 a few cases on record of       
children who never acquired their       
natural tongue because they had lived   
among animals and not among human       
beings4 ,they learned to make the same  
vocal sounds the animals did1 no more4  
,the environment in this case was       
everything1 the parental acquirements   
nothing4  ,music1 like language1 is also
 an acquired character1 and it is       
probably not transmitted4 ,our musical  
geniuses are not the children of great  
musicians1 but in most cases the        
reverse4 ,they seem to spring into      
existence from lowly sources1 or at     
least from parents whose advantages for 
a musical education have been very      
limited1 though generally they have had 
good health1 and a climatic environment 
of a favorable kind4 ,great musical     
talent usually dies out in any family in
 a few generations1 no matter how much  
it is cultivated1 or1 if it does not die
 out entirely1 it becomes mediocre2 and 
yet the opportunities of the children of

 great musicians1 and the ambition of   
their parents for its culture1 are      
usually very favorable4                 
,,instinct4--,in accepting the theory of
 the non-transmission of acquired       
characters1 it becomes necessary to give
 up prevailing views of the origin of   
instinct4 ,according to the old belief  
it was a gift of ,god1 and not acquired 
by any effort on the part of its        
possessor4 ,in speaking of the instinct 
of bees1 ,sidney ,smith says3           
,providence has done it4 ,there are the 
bees1 there is the comb1 and the honey1 
get rid of it or find some other        
explanation if you can4  ,the early     
evolutionists changed all this1 and made
 instinct the inheritance of an         
oft-repeated act4 ,the young kitten1 as 
soon as old enough1 hunts for a mouse   
and catches it without any training4    
,the sight of the mouse acts on its     
nervous system in such a way as to      
compel it to creep up softly1 jump on   
it1 toy and play with it1 and finally   

kill and eat it4 ,it would have required
 long practice on the part of its       
ancestors before so wonderful a         
character could have become fixed4 ,the 
same is true of the setter dog4  ,the   
new view is1 that instincts arise from  
variations in the germ-plasm4 ,the union
 of the germ elements of two individuals
 causes it to vary more or less from    
either parent4 ,these variations will be
 favorable and unfavorable4 ,the        
unfavorable ones will produce offspring 
handicapped in the struggle for life and
 they will disappear4 ,the favorable    
variations will produce descendants     
possessing advantages for survival and  
leave numerous offspring4  ,it is not   
easy to accept this view1 but ,i think  
there are some facts that support it4 ,i
 will advance a few4 ,the hive of the   
honey-bee contains three kinds of       
insects3 the queen1 the drones or males1
 and the workers4 ,the queen makes her  
nuptial flight but once in a life-time1 
and does it from instinct4 ,how can an  

instinct like this have been acquired by
 being performed but once8 ,the drones  
are derived from unfertilized eggs2 yet 
their instincts are those of the male1  
not of the female4 ,as they have no male
 ancestors1 it seems probable there was 
in the germ-plasm of some queen bee1 at 
a time far back1 some change which      
allowed unfertilized eggs to produce    
males4  ,the workers are all females1   
not fully developed sexually on account 
of a diet with too small a proportion of
 nitrogenous food and containing so     
large a proportion of the hydrocarbons4 
,they inherit from the mother1 or rather
 from the germ-plasm1 the instinct to   
gather honey1 yet neither their male nor
 female ancestors ever gathered any     
honey in their lives1 nor have they for 
ages4 ,far back in antiquity the queen1 
no doubt1 did gather honey1 but the     
disuse of this instinct has not caused  
it to disappear in the working bee1 as  
it should have done according to the    
,lamarckian theory of disuse causing    

decay of function4 ,is there any way to 
account for this1 except on the theory  
that the germ-plasm produces working    
bees as well as the other kinds1        
irrespective of the habits of the queen8
 ,her character in this respect is fixed
 and does not change4 ,is it            
unreasonable to think that some time in 
the past1 in some queen bee1 was formed 
a germ-plasm capable of producing three 
varieties1 and that there was such an   
advantage in it for survival1 that it   
has been continued ever since by natural
 selection8 ,queens not able to do this 
have not been selected1 left no         
offspring1 and thus the perfection of   
the stock has been assured4  ,one more  
case4 ,some years ago1 when interested  
in agricultural entomology1 ,i made a   
study of the so-called seventeen-year   
locust4 ,noting the wonderful precision 
with which the female cuts into a soft  
twig of a tree and lays its eggs in two 
rows1 the thought was suggested to me1  
how can an instinct1 used only a few    

hours1 once in seventeen years1 be      
acquired by exercise and persist in the 
offspring seventeen years later8        
,weismann's theory of the origin of     
instinct from favorable variations in   
the germ-plasm offers1 it seems to me1 a
 rational explanation4  ,i do not need  
to extend illustrations which abound in 
the insect world1 especially among the  
ants1 which furnish cases of            
coadaptation that cannot be transmitted1
 as they do not propagate1 so ,i will   
not mention them here4  ,now1 if        
acquired characters are not transmitted 
to offspring1 how should these facts    
affect our methods of educating         
children8  ,one advantage will be       
evident1 ,i think1 to all4 ,erroneous   
systems of training1 which do not injure
 the health1 will not appear through    
heredity in the offspring of parents    
thus wrongly trained1 except as a result
 of environment4 ,that is to say1 the   
injury does not become congenital--will 
not be in the blood--and1 consequently1 

it will be less difficult to eradicate  
it and to introduce better systems4     
,this may be considered an advantage4   
,but it is not all4 ,if heredity takes  
place only through the germ-plasm1 then 
it seems to me that whatever promotes a 
knowledge of how to maintain it in a    
high degree of health1 and how to favor 
more perfectly natural selection1 are   
subjects with which our educators may   
busy themselves far more than they do4  
,that is to say1 the study of biology1  
of life--of the laws of human growth and
 development1 and of evolution1 will    
become1 more and more1 important factors
 in our school curriculum4 ,we can      
hardly imagine how much our common      
every-day life has been aided by even   
the slight knowledge of mathematics     
gained by an acquaintance with addition1
 subtraction1 multiplication and        
division4 ,by it we are able to keep our
 little accounts correctly1 and neither 
cheat our creditors nor be cheated by   
them4 ,could we not by a knowledge of   

the laws of evolution1 and also the laws
 of growth and development1 keep our    
larger account with nature in a far     
better condition8 ,could we not keep    
ourselves from being cheated out of our 
health and happiness1 and also do       
something to put an end to physical1    
intellectual and moral deterioration    
which threatens so many families and    
even races8 ,it seems to me that the    
time is not far distant when these      
studies will be quite as much attended  
to as the not unimportant ones of       
arithmetic and grammar4   ,,knowledge   
,,of ,,heredity4--,whatever doctrine of 
heredity prevails1 however1 one thing is
 certain1 some knowledge of the subject 
will be very useful to those who have in
 care the training of children4 ,to     
them1 often more than to the parent1 is 
entrusted the task of developing the    
character and the individuality of the  
child4 ,can he do this well if he knows 
nothing of what the bent of the child's 
genius from ancestral influence is8 ,i  

doubt very much if any of us realize how
 important it is that this individuality
 should have its proper share of        
attention4 ,as the evolution of society 
goes on1 more and more must there be    
differentiation of our various          
activities4 ,if every boy and every girl
 can be educated so that to a           
considerable extent they can follow the 
bent of their genius1 whenever that bent
 is a normal one1 will not the available
 intellectual and moral energy of       
society be considerably augmented8 ,if  
you educate a boy which nature intended 
for a blacksmith for a preacher1 has not
 the world lost something8 ,educate     
another for a blacksmith who should have
 been a preacher1 is there not also a   
great loss8 ,there are a few children   
who will come out all right1 no matter  
how much they are schooled1 or whether  
they have any schooling1 so well have   
they been born1 but with the majority   
this is not the case4 ,now it seems to  
me that the teacher who knows the       

natures of his pupils1 and something of 
their ancestors'1 can direct their      
energies more satisfactorily than the   
one who does not4 ,if there are         
hereditary defects of intellect or      
morals1 he can more easily correct them4
 ,if there are ancestral tendencies to  
disease through imperfections of certain
 organs1 for instance1 the lungs or the 
brain1 he can often put the child on    
such a course of physical culture or    
mental training as to lift it above     
danger1 so that it may go through life a
 useful person instead of a feeble one  
or a lunatic4 ,even the tendency to     
crime might be averted4                 
,,individuality4--,if we could educate  
the young so as to bring out more fully 
their normal individualities we should  
be able to cultivate in them more       
independence of character4 ,on this     
subject ,prof4 ,mills says3 ,with all   
its imperfections1 ,i am bound to say   
that the individuality of the pupils in 
the old log school-house was often more 

developed than in the city public       
schools of today1 where for a boy to be 
himself frequently brings with it the   
ridicule of his fellows--a condition of 
things that has its effect afterward on 
the lad at college4 ,i find that this   
fear of being considered odd1--out of   
harmony with what others may think1--one
 of the greatest drawbacks to the       
development of independent investigating
 students at college4 ,the case is still
 worse for girls4 ,when women begin to  
be really independent in thought1 in    
feeling1 in action1 ,i shall be more    
hopeful of the progress of mankind4     
,happily1 the dawn of this day is       
already begun4  ,we must not forget that
 there is also a spectre of heredity4   
,it is seen under different forms4 ,the 
physician is often reminded by his      
patients that they have inherited this  
or that disease from father or mother1  
or an ancestor farther back4 ,now1 there
 are few diseases which come to us      
directly through inheritance4 ,in a     

majority of cases they are not          
transmitted4 ,even consumption is not4  
,if we accept the modern theory of its  
origin1 as we must1 this plague is the  
result of germs floating in the air     
being introduced into our bodies by     
respiration1 or in food1 or through     
contact with abraided ,surfaces4 ,those 
with weakened constitutions are more    
liable to it than the strong1 and a     
weakened constitution may be inherited1 
for in this case the germ-plasm will not
 be well nourished and will suffer2 but 
those thus handicapped in the race of   
life will get on far better by endowing 
themselves with knowledge and obeying   
the laws of life than they can by living
 under the shadow of the great spectre  
of heredity1 and casting anathemas at   
their ancestors for not having done more
 for them4 ,no doubt most of them have  
done the best they could2 and if life is
 worth living1 as most of us believe1 we
 owe them many thanks for having brought
 us into the world4   ,,the ,,spectre   

,,of ,,heredity4--,there is a spectre of
 heredity of a more serious nature4 ,it 
is the spirit of the dead past1 with its
 mighty hand on society1 on             
institutions1 on modes of life4 ,wendell
 ,phillips used to tell a story1 in his 
anti-slavery addresses1 which           
illustrates the evil effect of this     
inherited spectre4 ,it ran in this wise4
 ,in an ,eastern temple1 an idol1 in the
 image of a god1 stood calmly on its    
pedestal4 ,it was sacrilege to touch it 
with human hands2 but rats having no    
such feelings of awe in the presence of 
a deity1 began to gnaw about it in      
various places1 yet no one was bold     
enough to remove it to a place of       
safety2 and so the rats gnawed on and   
on1 and built their nests within the    
sacred image4 ,in time they loosened it 
from its firm foundation1 and one       
morning1 when the worshippers came in to
 pay their devotions1 they found their  
god had fallen prostrate on the floor4  
,so it is sometimes with our inherited  

beliefs4 ,they hold us back from        
progress like a heavy weight4 ,we fear  
to remove them1 for they are sacred     
inheritances1 idols1 gods1 and so our   
institutions decay1 perish4             
,,footnotes3  #ajf3;,a ,darwin did not  
regard this experiment as settling this 
question4 ,he had great affection1 so to
 speak1 for this poor1 despised theory1 
and believed it would finally be        
established as in the main true4        
,,evolution',s ,,hopeful ,,promise ,,for
 ,a ,,healthier ,,race4  ,given before  
the ,greenacre ,conference of           
,evolutionists4   ,we have most of us in
 the past looked upon health as a matter
 of inheritance1 or temperance and      
moderation in working1 in eating and    
drinking2 or as depending on climate2 or
 exercise1 or plenty of sleep1 pure     
water and a morning bath1 or some other 
secret1 one or more of which is pretty  
sure to be in the possession of most    
persons who have lived long enough to   
have had some experience with those     

things that do them good or harm4 ,all  
these agencies have great value2 but ,i 
think few of us realize that nature1    
through the laws of evolution1 has long 
been working to produce a brave and     
strong1 healthy and hardy race of men   
and women by other methods than those   
health habits which most of us value so 
highly4  ,nature has been doing this    
chiefly by two methods1 and it seems    
necessary that ,i should say something  
about them in order to present my       
subject as ,i wish to present it4 ,the  
methods to which ,i refer are those of  
sexual and natural selection4 ,it is to 
these two processes that we are largely 
indebted for race improvements--more    
perfect bodies1 more active brains1 and 
the high degree of health which a       
considerable portion of the race enjoys4
   ,,sexual ,,selection4--,by sexual    
selection is meant that preference which
 the male or the female has for certain 
characteristics of the other sex4 ,it   
also includes the advantages which the  

stronger and more capable male has over 
the weaker one in obtaining a choice1   
or1 among polygamous animals1 a larger  
number of females1 thus allowing        
offspring to be generated by the most   
capable1 and preventing the most        
incapable from procuring mates4  ,the   
first principle of sexual selection1    
that of preference1 would imply a       
considerable development of the         
intellect1 and some taste1 but ,i do not
 think it has had great influence on the
 lower forms of life4 ,it is difficult  
to study the preferences of insects1 for
 instance2 but ,i have studied the moth 
of the silkworm1 and could never observe
 that either male or female had a choice
 for any particular mate4 ,they always  
appear to take the first one that comes 
along4 ,i think this is the conclusion  
come to by those entomologists who have 
had opportunities for studying other    
insects4 ,the spider might perhaps be   
studied in this relation to advantage1  
as the female is ferocious1 often eating

 her male suitors while they are trying 
to woo her4 ,nor do ,i believe that it  
is a very important matter in many other
 animals4 ,certainly among the domestic 
ones--the sheep1 the horse1 the bull and
 the cow--a superior male and female    
will mate with inferior ones of the     
opposite sex1 apparently without the    
slightest objection4 ,i have sometimes  
thought ,i had observed in pigeons a    
preference1 having occasionally seen a  
male leave his mate for a more          
attractive female2 at least one that    
seemed more attractive to me4  ,when it 
comes to sexual selection through       
struggle1 no doubt there has been great 
advantage1 and it has produced important
 effects4 ,this occurs among polygamous 
and also among non-polygamous animals1  
and the strong males are certain to     
secure the largest number of females    
and1 consequently1 leave the largest    
number of offspring4 ,this would1 no    
doubt1 through the laws of inheritance1 
be beneficial in producing animals of   

greater vigor and more perfect health4  
,but even in this case1 the males seem  
to have little preference for any       
particular female2 and so while the     
least vigorous ones would leave few1 and
 many no offspring1 the least vigorous  
females would leave nearly as many as   
the more vigorous ones4 ,still1 through 
pure-blooded males alone1 stockbreeders 
tell us1 herds of cattle can be brought 
up to a high degree of perfection in    
three or four generations1 even if the  
females1 at the beginning of the        
experiment1 are inferior4 ,the first    
generation would be half pure blood2 the
 second three-fourths2 the third1       
seven-eighths1 and the fourth           
fifteen-sixteenths1 or almost           
thoroughbred4  ,when it comes to man1   
however1 the case is different4 ,with   
him sexual selection is more important1 
and the preference shown by both sexes  
is very marked4 ,many women have strong 
prejudices against marrying men with    
certain characteristics1 and nothing    

will induce them to such a union4 ,so   
strong are the desires many of them have
 for mates with particular qualities1   
that they prefer to remain single rather
 than marry one not possessing these    
qualities4 ,through this preference1 on 
the whole1 the better and those most    
adapted mate with those most suited to  
them1 and a considerably larger class of
 physically and mentally inferior ones  
do not mate at all1 or1 if they do1     
leave few offspring4 ,the idiot would   
stand no chance of securing a mate1     
although1 if left free1 he would unite  
with another idiot1 like an animal4     
,such things have happened1 and the     
offspring were not idiots1 as might have
 been expected2 but they were not       
superior beings4 ,the most deformed in  
body would1 in most cases1 unless they  
had mental traits of a high order to    
counterbalance them1 rarely find mates4 
,thus1 through this agency1 some of the 
poorest specimens of both sexes do not  
produce offspring1 and this raises the  

standard of the health and ability of   
the race4  ,there are many characters   
which have come into existence1 it is   
believed1 through sexual selection4 ,one
 is beauty in women1 greater beauty of  
form1 of hair1 of eyes1 of grace1       
fidelity1 chastity1 power of love1 etc4 
,these all give pleasure to the opposite
 sex1 and have an element of usefulness 
in them4 ,whenever these characters have
 appeared in women they have given the  
possessors a better chance to find a    
partner with superior characters4 ,the  
same is true of men4 ,woman being       
debarred from the hardest labor through 
maternity has found it useful1 even in  
early times1 to choose men who were     
strong1 brave1 courageous and capable of
 defending and caring for her1 so far as
 was possible1 and thus by sexual       
selection she has indirectly promoted   
health and vigor in man1 for these      
qualities are inseparable from it4  ,but
 the results of sexual selection are by 
no means perfect4 ,the sexes are nearly 

equally divided1 and as polygamy is not 
to any great extent practiced among     
human beings1 with the exception of     
those already named1 most men and women 
can find mates if they wish1 even though
 they may have many serious             
imperfections of body and mind1 and from
 them many children will be born        
physically and mentally incompetent4    
,there is no doubt that sexual selection
 is coming more and more into play1     
however4 ,we have abundant evidence of  
this in the growing sentiment against   
the marriage of those with a tendency to
 any serious disease1 as insanity1      
syphilis1 etc4 ,only a little while ago 
was published an account of a suit for a
 breach of promise brought by a young   
woman in an ,english court against her  
suitor4 ,he1 having in view the value of
 a healthy wife1 and also of children   
well endowed physically1 asked her      
before the engagement if any of her near
 relatives had died of consumption1 and 
she replied that none had1 which he     

afterwards found was not true4 ,on      
learning of it he refused to marry her4 
,i am sorry to say that she won her     
suit4 ,one of the questions asked in    
court was3 ,is it possible that a lover 
would ask such questions of his         
sweetheart as would be asked of a       
candidate for life insurance8           
,courtship is such a delightful         
occupation for the young1 that it seems 
a pity to mar it by bringing in         
questions of health4 ,yet men and women 
are often such deceivers1 and frequently
 so ignorant1 that some way must be     
devised to prevent deception if sexual  
selection is ever expected to have its  
full influence on race improvement4     
,,human ,,selection4--,under the head of
 human selection ,galton and ,wallace   
have made some interesting and valuable 
suggestions for improving the health and
 quality of man4 ,mr4 ,galton proposed a
 system of marks for family health1     
intellect and morals1 and those members 
of families having the highest number   

were to be encouraged to marry early by 
state endowments sufficient to enable   
them to make a good start in life1 early
 marriages being favorable to large     
families4 ,it was a bold suggestion1    
savoring too strongly of socialism or   
state control of marriage to suit many  
of us4  ,professor ,wallace's plan is   
that women shall1 so far as possible1 be
 made independent1 so that they will not
 feel the necessity of marrying for a   
home4 ,her time might be occupied either
 in public duties or self-culture1 or   
any occupation she might prefer4 ,she   
should be educated to believe it        
degrading to marry for a home1 without  
love and adaptation1 and equally wrong  
to marry her inferior4 ,this would      
compel men to be more manly1 to leave   
off their bad habits and many vices1 in 
order to obtain wives2 and the idle1    
selfish1 sickly and deformed would not  
easily get them4 ,one difficulty in the 
way of carrying out this plan is the    
greater number of women in society as it

 exists today1 owing to the larger      
mortality among boys4 ,but by a better  
hygiene which is likely to result from  
the evolution of the race1 this greater 
mortality of the masculine sex is       
certain in the future to be prevented1  
and there will then be an excess of men 
instead of women4 ,this will be a real  
advantage1 for a scarcity of women would
 give her a greater influence in        
selection1 and the result would be1 the 
worst men would not be able to get      
wives4  ,being in a minority1 women     
would be held in higher esteem1 be more 
sought for1 and have a real choice in   
marriage by being able to reject        
unsatisfactory suitors1 which is        
certainly not the case now to any       
considerable extent4  ,mr4 ,wallace's   
plan would not require such early       
marriages as that of ,mr4 ,galton's1 and
 this would be a positive benefit to the
 physical vigor of the children1 for we 
know that the progeny of too early      
marriages are more delicate1 and        

reproduction before bodily maturity     
lowers the standard of health in parents
 as well as of their offspring4         
,marriage being delayed1 and the culture
 of the mind being more attended to than
 is possible when it is early1 would    
reduce the number of children in any    
family1 and this would enable parents to
 bestow more care upon them4 ,it would  
also prevent1 to a limited extent1      
over-multiplication of the race1 which  
is a real evil1 for if every couple left
 three or four children the whole world 
would soon be full1 and over-population 
would result in much disease4  ,mr4     
,wallace's scheme has in view the       
prevention of marriage by the weak and  
worthless4 ,he believes that if this can
 be done little more will be required1  
for the superior would be the only ones 
to procreate1 and this would be quite   
sufficient in a few generations to      
produce a strong and healthy race4 ,he  
calls his plan that of human selection1 
but it may be considered practically as 

a modification of sexual selection4     
,,natural ,,selection4--,natural        
selection is another process which takes
 place on an enormous scale and         
constantly among all organisms1 whether 
animal or vegetable4 ,natural selection 
is the result of the operation of       
certain laws in the natural world which 
brings about the survival of those best 
fitted for their environment4 ,it is a  
weeding-out system by the destruction of
 a certain portion1 at least1 if not    
all1 of the weak and the bad1 and it    
occurs because there is such a rapid    
increase of most organisms4 ,we speak of
 it as the survival of the fittest1 but 
it is also1 at the same time1 the       
destruction of the unfit4  ,mr4 ,darwin 
says3 ,we have seen that man is variable
 in body and mind1 and that the         
variations are induced either directly  
or indirectly by the same general       
causes1 and obey the same general laws  
as with the lower animals4 ,man has     
spread widely over the face of the      

earth1 and must have been exposed during
 his incessant migrations to the most   
diversified conditions4 ,they must have 
passed through many climates and changed
 their habits many times before they    
reached their present homes4 ,they must 
have been exposed to a struggle for     
existence and1 consequently1 to the     
rigid law of natural selection4         
,beneficial variations of all kinds have
 been preserved and injurious ones      
eliminated4 ,if1 then1 the progenitors  
of man1 inhabiting any district1        
especially one undergoing some changed  
conditions1 were divided into two equal 
bodies1 the one-half including those    
with the best adapted powers for        
movement1 for gaining a subsistence1 for
 self-defence1 would1 on the average1   
have more offspring than the other and  
the less well endowed half4  ,we may    
have a good object lesson in the        
elimination of the unfit going on about 
us constantly4 ,in ,new ,york ,city1 for
 #ahia1 the deaths of children under    

five years of age was #ah1aab2 for #ahib
 it was #ag1egg1 or slightly less4 ,this
 is more than one-third1 but not quite  
one-half1 of the total deaths at all    
ages for these years4 ,a very large     
proportion of these deaths occurred in  
the tenement house districts1 and a very
 natural question arises in the mind3   
,are the children of those who live in  
tenement houses more unfit to survive   
than those who live in houses in which  
only one family dwells4 ,no doubt in    
most cases the children of those are    
most fit who are most able to provide   
them with hygienic surroundings1 the    
better food and most suitable care2 such
 are usually the prudent and the        
capable4 ,the love of children is       
usually stronger in them4 ,the          
intelligent affection of parents for    
their young is one of the incentives to 
their best training4 ,it certainly is   
not nearly so strong among the residents
 of the crowded quarters of a city as   
among the more prosperous4 ,any one may 

observe this by going with a company of 
mothers on the excursions of some fresh 
air society1 which may be seen in most  
cities4 ,it is hard to find one of these
 mothers who shows what we may call     
intelligent affection or intelligent    
care of her young4 ,some pathetic       
instances illustrating this might be    
mentioned4  ,when it comes to the       
question of their physical or mental    
inferiority1 a cursory inspection is all
 that is required to show they are far  
below the average4 ,there is a great    
want of symmetry of body and            
mind--evidence of degeneration4 ,in     
order to test the strength of           
constitution1 which is a good way to get
 at one form of physical fitness for    
survival1 it seems to me1 ,i made a     
study of the blood of a considerable    
number of these children and found the  
amount of protoplasm in the colorless   
blood corpuscles deficient4 ,this shows 
that their power to resist disease is   
slight4 ,it must be borne in mind1      

however1 that a strong constitution     
alone is not evidence of fitness for    
survival4 ,a strong person may not have 
prudence1 foresight1 keenness of        
perception1 judgment1 and many other    
qualities equally important4 ,the       
characters just mentioned may constitute
 fitness when there is only a moderately
 vigorous body4 ,mr4 ,darwin recognized 
this when he said3 ,we should bear in   
mind that an animal possessing great    
size1 strength and ferocity1 and which1 
like the gorilla1 could defend itself   
from all enemies would not1 perhaps1    
have become sufficiently social1 and    
this would effectually have checked the 
acquirement of the higher mental        
qualities1 such as the sympathy and love
 of his fellows4 ,hence1 it might have  
been of immense advantage to men to have
 sprung from some comparatively weak but
 social creature4  ,fitness is a        
complicated condition and not a simple  
one4 ,it depends upon so many external  
conditions4 ,fitness in one place would 

be unfitness in another4 ,still1 other  
things being equal1 strength of         
constitution is a very important factor1
 and must not be left out of            
consideration4 ,with it there is a      
surplus of material in the body beyond  
what is required for digestion1         
assimilation1 circulation and other     
bodily functions1 to enable the parents 
not only to do hard labor1 but also to  
endow their offspring with vigor equal  
to their own1 often greater vigor4 ,the 
feeble individuals will have a small    
amount of stored up material in their   
bodies which we may designate as        
physiological capital to give continuous
 food1 warmth and protection to their   
young2 they will not be so well adjusted
 to their environment1 and1             
consequently1 natural selection will    
cause their non-survival--or their      
offspring1 if not immediately1 at no    
distant period4  ,this doctrine of      
natural selection has been designated as
 cruel1 harsh1 inexorable1 and under the

 influence of the human feeling every   
effort is in our time being made to     
prevent this wholesome check upon the   
processes of nature from having its due 
influence upon evolution and race       
progress4 ,modern hygiene undertakes to 
put an end to disease1 to save all who  
are born1 to surround them with every   
influence which can favor their health  
and development4 ,it would stamp out    
diphtheria1 scarlet fever1 summer       
complaint1 consumption and a host of    
other diseases which now decimate the   
ranks of the unfit1 and often1 no doubt1
 of the comparatively fit4 ,this would  
perpetuate a type of feeble1 unhealthy  
persons4 ,there would not be much hope  
of more perfect health for the race if  
our hygienists could carry out this     
daring scheme along the lines now       
working4 ,there seems an antagonism     
between nature's methods of bettering   
the physical condition of the race and  
the efforts of man himself1 acting under
 the guidance of his moral feelings1 to 

prevent the action of natural law4 ,mr4 
,darwin recognized this1 and referred to
 it in his great work1 ,the ,descent of 
,man1 where he says3 ,with savages1 the 
weak in body and mind are soon          
eliminated1 and those that survive      
commonly exhibit a vigorous state of    
health4 ,we civilized men1 on the other 
hand1 do our utmost to check the process
 of elimination4 ,we build asylums for  
the imbeciles1 the maimed and the sick2 
we institute poor laws2 and our medical 
men exert their utmost skill to save the
 life of every one to the last moment4  
,there is1 says he1 reason to believe   
that vaccination has preserved thousands
 who from a weak constitution would have
 succumbed to smallpox4 ,thus the weak  
members of civilized communities        
propagate their kind4 ,no one who has   
attended to the breeding of domestic    
animals will doubt but this must be     
highly injurious to the human race4     
,excepting in the case of man himself   
hardly any one is so ignorant as to     

allow his worst animals to breed4       
,other evolutionists1 in more recent    
times1 have taken a still more somber   
view of this danger of race             
deterioration through the prevention of 
the full action of the law of natural   
selection4  ,dr4 ,john ,berry ,haycraft1
 in a recent work entitled ,darwinism   
and ,race ,progress1 has sounded the    
alarm in no uncertain tones4 ,he says3  
,races1 therefore1 subject to epidemics 
of a particular fever1 suffer selections
 in the hands of the microbes of that   
fever1 and those living are survivals1  
cast in the most resisting mould4 ,it   
may not be flattering to our national   
vanity to look upon ourselves as the    
product of the selection of the         
micro-organism of measles1 scarlet      
fever1 smallpox1 etc42 but the          
reasonableness of the conclusion seems  
to be forced upon us when we consider   
his immunity from these diseases as     
compared with the natives of the        
interior of ,africa1 or the wilds of    

,america1 whose races have never been so
 selected1 and who1 when attacked for   
the first time by these diseases1 are   
ravaged almost to extinction4 ,by       
exterminating these diseases we shall no
 doubt preserve countless lives to the  
community who will1 in their turn1      
become race producers2 but in as much as
 the individuals thus preserved will1 in
 most cases1 belong to the feebler and  
less resisting of the community1 the    
race will not become more robust4  ,the 
same author concludes in these words3   
,in the meantime we may view1 and not   
without inquietude1 the probability that
 our statistics1 as far as they go1     
indicate that race deterioration has    
already begun as a consequence of that  
care for the individual which has       
characterized the efforts of modern     
society4 ,the biologist1 from quite     
another group of facts1 has             
independently arrived at conclusions    
which render this view in the highest   
degree probable4  ,thus1 the great      

,english race1 once so hardy1 so        
powerful1 says this modern writer1 by   
hygiene and better physical conditions1 
is becoming weaker and weaker4  ,this   
view of the case is growing largely in  
,england and1 perhaps1 other ,european  
countries4 ,there is already some       
evidence of its truthfulness in         
statistics4 ,the death rate for those in
 middle life is rather increasing than  
diminishing4 ,this arises from the fact 
that the great number of children who   
formerly died in infancy have lived1 but
 being of more feeble constitutions1    
they swell the death rate later on4 ,it 
is felt1 also1 in many educational      
institutions in the larger number of    
youths who cannot stand the strain and  
stress of student life4 ,they are1 high 
medical authority says1 the youth saved 
from early death by modern hygienic and 
medical care4 ,formerly1 natural        
selection would have chosen them as     
unfit to survive1 and there would have  
remained alive few besides the hardy    

ones with good constitutions1 capable of
 great strain1 with great powers of     
endurance4  ,it is also shown in the    
stress of modern competition1 in which  
there are multitudes who cannot stand   
this strain4 ,it is from these1 in some 
degree1 that we hear the cry for        
governmental aid4 ,we must make the     
conditions of life easier for them1 say 
our social reformers1 or they will      
become 'a submerged class4'   ,,conflict
 ,,between ,,evolutionary ,,theories    
,,and ,,our ,,humane ,,sentiments4--,and
 now ,i wish to consider another phase  
of my subject4 ,those who have followed 
closely what was said concerning natural
 selection will have seen that there    
appears to be a conflict between        
evolutionary theories and the humane    
sentiment of the age--a want of         
correspondence between what is being    
done by natural law and what man is     
trying to do under the inspiration of   
his loving heart4 ,can we reconcile this
 want of correspondence8 ,to some extent

 no doubt we can4  ,in the first place1 
the growth of the moral nature has      
always been held in high esteem by every
 nation and every race4 ,our moral      
giants stand higher in the scale of     
being than our great generals or        
statesmen1 even in an age when moral    
culture is at a low ebb4 ,we draw our   
moral inspiration from ,buddha1         
,socrates and ,christ rather than from  
,aristotle2 their science may be1 yes1  
is1 faulty1 but their spirit is lofty4  
,and the moral nature is cultivated in  
laboring for the good of others1 in     
trying to save for a better life the    
poor1 the weak1 the distressed4 ,all    
that is required is that we do this work
 wisely1 not unwisely1 under the        
guidance of reason1 not feelings4 ,we   
want to prevent these calamities rather 
than cure them4  ,another satisfaction  
arises from the fact that in learning   
how to perfect the lives of the feeble  
so that they may live longer1 we also   
learn how to perfect1 in a still higher 

degree1 the lives of the strong1 or     
those we call the fit1 so that they also
 will not only live longer1 but be able 
to live with much greater satisfaction  
the complex lives of our times4  ,the   
knowledge which helps the first may help
 the second even more than the first1   
for they have better opportunities and  
can take advantage of it4 ,we may also  
comfort ourselves with the fact that a  
majority of those with feeble           
constitutions1 whose lives have been for
 a time snatched from the operation of  
the laws of natural selection1 will not1
 after all1 contribute very extensively 
to the increase of the population4      
,great powers of generation and numerous
 offspring rarely go with physical      
weakness4 ,if there are exceptions they 
are explainable4 ,it is1 ,i think1      
pretty certain that a great majority of 
such leave few1 often no offspring4     
,they find their way into places where  
work is light and the pay small1 and    
they cannot afford to marry and care for

 families1 and do not do it4  ,the law  
of natural selection will continue to   
work on them so long as its action is   
required1 with little regard to the     
efforts of man to abrogate it4 ,nature  
works continuously for ages1 and she    
works on every part of man1 every organ1
 every function4 ,we may almost say she 
is omnipotent2 that she watches for     
every slight improvement2 that she knows
 what to do under every circumstance4   
,foiled in one direction1 she has other 
means1 infinite means1 for gaining her  
ends4 ,man can no more put a stop to the
 operation of natural law than he can   
put a stop to the flow of ,niagara4 ,he 
may turn off a trifle of its water to   
whirl wheels and spindles1 but the      
mighty river flows on until nature makes
 some changes in the watersheds1 that   
make its flow impossible4 ,man1 on the  
other hand1 acts on his own body in a   
finite way4 ,he works mainly for        
immediate1 not remote1 ends4 ,he changes
 his methods as his needs change1 or his

 knowledge increases4 ,today he works   
with limited knowledge of hygiene1      
inspired by old ideas of philanthropy4  
,tomorrow he may have a vastly extended 
knowledge of this subject and an        
entirely new social science which will  
enable him to do more good and less     
harm4   ,,ideal ,,of ,,health4--,let me 
now consider some of the things         
necessary to give us a greater hope for 
the future of human health1 of ourselves
 and for our children4  ,the first thing
 necessary is to get a higher ideal of  
bodily or physical perfection than we   
have today4 ,sir ,james ,paget1 in a    
lecture on ,national ,health1 in #ahhd1 
put this in the following words3  ,we   
want1 says he1 more ambition for health4
 ,i should like to see a personal       
ambition for health as keen as that for 
bravery1 for beauty1 or for success in  
our athletic games or field sports4 ,i  
wish there was such an ambition for the 
most perfect national health as there is
 for national renown in war1 in art or  

in commerce4 ,sir ,james then gives his 
own ideal4 ,it is for man or woman to be
 so full of health as to be             
comparatively indifferent to the        
external conditions of life1 and to make
 a ready self-adjustment to all its     
changes4 ,he should not be deemed       
thoroughly healthy who is made better or
 worse1 more fit or less fit1 by every  
change of weather or food1 or who is    
bound to observe exact rules of living4 
,it is good to observe rules1 and to    
some they are absolutely necessary2 but 
it is better to need none but those of  
moderation1 and1 observing these1 to be 
willing to live and work hard in the    
widest variations of food1 air1 climate1
 bathing and all other sustenances of   
life4   ,,adaptation ,,to               
,,environment4--,this sounds very much  
like saying that to be healthy one must 
be adjusted to his environment2 and this
 is practically what ,herbert ,spencer  
long before said in his ,principles of  
,biology4 ,here are his words3  ,as     

affording the simplest and most         
conclusive proof that the degree of life
 varies as the degree of correspondence1
 it remains to point out that perfect   
correspondence would be perfect life4   
,were there no changes in our           
environment but such as the organism had
 adapted changes to meet1 and were it   
never to fail in the efficiency with    
which it met them1 there would be       
eternal existence and universal         
knowledge4 ,death by natural decay      
occurs because in old age the relations 
between assimilation1 oxidation1 and the
 genesis of force going on in the body  
gradually fall out of correspondence    
with the relations between oxygen and   
the food and absorption of heat by the  
environment4 ,death from disease arises 
either when the organism is congenitally
 defective in its power to balance      
ordinary internal actions1 or when there
 has taken place some unusual external  
action to which there was no answering  
internal action4 ,death by accident     

implies some neighboring mechanical     
changes of which the causes are either  
unobserved from inattention1 or are so  
intricate their results cannot be       
foreseen1 and1 consequently1 certain    
relations in the organism are not       
adjusted to the relations in the        
environment4 ,manifestly1 if1 to every  
outer co-existence and sequence by which
 it was ever in any degree affected1 the
 organism presented an answering process
 or act1 the simultaneous changes would 
be indefinitely numerous and complex1   
and the successive ones endless1 the    
correspondence would be the greatest    
conceivable and the life the highest    
conceivable1 both in degree and length4 
,,knowledge4--,another requirement to   
promote human health is a better        
knowledge of how the constitution of the
 body may be strengthened1 and more     
certitude as to whether such            
improvements as it may receive by       
hygienic training will be transmitted to
 offspring4 ,that human health may be   

improved by right training of the body1 
a better supply of fresh air1 greater   
moderation in living1 there is not a    
shadow of doubt2 but is the constitution
 itself thus strengthened1 or only its  
original vigor conserved and made       
effective8 ,i have been working on the  
problem for some time by a series of    
studies on the blood1 and especially the
 amount of living matter in the         
colorless corpuscles1 and have satisfied
 myself1 from some observations on      
individual cases1 that the original     
constitution of feeble persons can be   
strengthened in early life1 but the     
extent of this strengthening seems      
somewhat limited4 ,much original        
research is still required to get at    
important facts in this direction4 ,if  
some of the study now given to          
micro-organisms could be devoted to this
 subject it would be most useful4 ,the  
work might be done in connection with   
our numerous schools of physical        
culture1 now happily multiplying1 and   

also in our physiological laboratories4 
,that any gain to the vigor of the      
constitution can be transmitted to the  
offspring is very probable4 ,while      
education and training do not seem to   
affect the germ cells in any marked     
degree1 nutrition does affect them4     
,whether acquired characters in the form
 of skill1 music1 language or other like
 things are transmitted or not may still
 be an open question4  ,strengthening   
the constitution seems to be best       
accomplished by increasing the resources
 of the body beyond its outgo1 so that  
there shall be some gain2 and this      
brings up a very important subject1 that
 of the importance of living within the 
bodily income4  ,in our fast age we are 
likely to use up the physiological      
resources in excessive work or          
dissipation1 and so rob our children of 
their just inheritance4   ,,effects ,,of
 ,,living ,,at ,,high ,,pressure4--,one 
generation may1 by living at high       
pressure and under specially unfavorable

 conditions1 use up more than its share 
of the living matter of its bodies and  
draw a bill on posterity which the next 
generation cannot pay4 ,many of us now  
have the benefit of the calm1 unexciting
 lives of our forefathers4 ,they stored 
up physiological wealth for us2 we are  
using it4 ,the question is1 ,can we1    
working at high pressure1 keep this up  
during our lives 7which1 in that case1  
will be on an average rather short71 and
 transmit to the coming generation a    
large supply of living matter for their 
needs8  ,how often has it happened in   
the history of the world that people who
 for generations have exhibited no      
special genius1 have blazed out in      
bursts of national greatness for a time1
 and then almost died out6 ,we ought to 
take care that this does not happen to  
us4 ,how often we see a quiet country   
family1 whose members have for          
generations led calm1 temperate lives1  
suddenly produce one or two great men   
and then relapse into obscurity4 ,they  

had by their quiet1 inexpensive living  
stored up energy for this purpose4 ,on  
the other hand1 how often have we seen  
the reverse--families whose energies    
have been used up in overwork or        
sensuality producing offspring below    
themselves in ability4 ,the true rule1  
however1 is neither to waste the bodily 
energy nor to keep too much of it lying 
idle and producing nothing4   ,,girls   
,,in ,,manufacturing ,,districts4--,we  
need also a new departure in our        
manufacturing centers4 ,manufacturing as
 now conducted is a far less healthy    
occupation than agriculture and         
horticulture4 ,the reason for this is   
that workmen and workwomen and even     
children in most mills and factories are
 exposed for hours at a time to an      
atmosphere which is loaded with dust and
 the debris of cotton1 of wool1 and     
often to that worst of all dust which   
comes from shoddy and rags4 ,they are   
also1 in many cases1 kept away from     
light1 and in cramped positions1 and    

this1 continued for years1 slowly       
deteriorates the constitution2 and if1  
in case of a war1 we were obliged to    
enlist a large army1 we should find a   
far less number of able bodied men among
 the factory workers than among the     
farmers4 ,let me give you a picture1    
perhaps one of the very worst to be seen
 anywhere1 of a visit to a ,new ,england
 paper mill4  ,we left1 with a company  
of ladies and gentlemen1 the light of a 
mellow afternoon to climb some steep and
 dusty stairs under the courteous       
guidance of a superintendent4 ,we had   
hoped to 'see it all1' 'but that was    
quite impossible1' said our guide1      
'since the room where the rags are      
sorted is so dusty that the gowns of the
 ladies would be ruined4' ,so we        
contented ourselves with less dangerous 
rooms4 ,but even about the stairway the 
dust cloud hung heavily1 obscuring the  
sight and choking the breath4 ,from the 
narrow landing the room1 into which it  
was impossible to venture1 was in full  

view4 ,it was long and large4 ,from end 
to end were ranged huge boxes1 waist    
high4 ,fastened to each were two        
inverted swords on whose sharp blades   
the workers cut the piled-up masses of  
rags1 shredding them for the bleaching  
boiler4 ,all the floor was covered with 
rags1 billows upon billows of soiled    
white pieces1 in which the toilers      
stood1 their feet buried deep beneath   
the dirty1 tattered material4  ,not a   
word was spoken4 ,even where we stood   
speech was difficult1 so completely did 
the thick dust fill eyes1 mouth and     
nostrils1 choking1 blinding and         
exasperating4 ,the effect of this       
perfect silence was oppressive4 ,a      
certain solemnity hung over the place4  
,through the fog of dust the figures    
loomed unnaturally large4 ,all the      
workers were white and hollow-cheeked1  
with great sunken eyes1 emphasized by   
the circles underneath4 ,each woman had 
bound upon her head some rag1 larger or 
finer than the rest1 to protect her     

hair1 and the gray-white bands folded   
straight across the forehead showed     
weirdly in the dim half-light4  ,as they
 stood there in long1 silent rows1      
cutting1 cutting1 ,,cutting1 they looked
 like the priestesses of some ancient   
and frightful ceremonial4 ,we were glad 
to escape1 to exchange the dust1 the    
grime1 the wan faces1 and the burning   
eyes for the breath of cool wind1 the   
full glow of the sunlight1 and the face 
of nature herself1 so many of whose     
human children have no time to know or  
learn her ways4  ,it gave a tragic      
significance to the memory of those     
silent workers to know that they have   
but a few years to live4  ,the same     
unfortunate condition of things is      
complained of in ,manchester1 ,england1 
one of the greatest manufacturing       
centers in the world4 ,the heated air of
 the mills1 the dust1 lack of light1 the
 employment of children1 says the       
,london ,lancet1 are causing vast       
deterioration and a most disastrous     

effect on the morals of the people4     
,football is popular1 but all the       
players are imported from ,scotland4    
,the natives simply look on and shout4  
,if they want men for policemen or      
constables1 they go to ,scotland or     
,ireland for them4 ,the women and girls 
are equally stunted and feeble4 ,in the 
manufacturing towns the prospect for a  
strong1 healthy race from such material 
is poor indeed4   ,,co-,,operation3 ,,an
 ,,example4--,it is difficult to see the
 remedy for this state of things4       
,probably the evolution of a higher     
standard of ethics1 a higher sense of   
justice1 and a more thorough belief that
 health is a duty1 may do something4    
,meantime it is important that the      
working man should do all he can for    
himself2 and perhaps ,i can do no better
 than to give here a picture of what    
some of them have done under the        
inspiration of co-operation1 not only   
for their health but for their pockets4 
,it is a picture of a great             

manufacturing establishment of the      
,scottish ,co-operative ,wholesale      
,society1 at ,shieldhall1 near ,glasgow1
 on the ,clyde4 ,this society is a      
federation of all the retail societies  
of ,scotland1 #bch in number1 with a    
membership of over #aej1jjj persons4    
,the society began on a moderate scale  
many years ago1 but its development has 
been marvelous4 ,in #ahhg it started out
 on a career which has since continued1 
owing to the indomitable energy of one  
of its members1 himself a working man4  
,the buildings stand in a very healthy  
locality1 the health of the working     
force being considered of the first     
importance4 ,they seem to have learned  
that sickness is loss--loss of time1 of 
productive energy--and that it is a     
costly matter4 ,as ,mr4 ,beecher once   
said1 it is the one burden that bends1  
almost breaks1 the back of society4     
,these ,scotchmen are realizing1 just as
 far as is possible1 the condition of a 
sound mind in a sound body4 ,they       

recognize the rights of the laborer to  
health1 and place him in a position     
while working1 so that his body may not 
deteriorate any more than is natural for
 it to do as age advances4 ,the living  
machine must not be harmed more than the
 dead machinery4 ,the land consists of  
#ab acres1 and cost #b1ejj an acre2     
nearly all of it is covered with fine   
buildings1 in which #ai different       
industries are carried on1 many of them 
on a large scale4 ,every one of these   
buildings is constructed after modern   
methods1 with every requirement1 not    
only for convenience but for health4    
,the workrooms are cosy and spacious1   
well ventilated1 warmed in cold weather 
by steam1 and lighted by electricity4   
,the best sanitary arrangements known   
have been introduced1 and the excellent 
health of the workmen and workwomen1 of 
whom there are over #a1jjj of each1     
tells the story of sanitation4  ,two    
large dining-rooms1 one for men and one 
for women1 are provided2 also two large 

reading-rooms with all necessary papers1
 periodicals1 books and means of        
amusement4 ,its only lack is a gymnasium
 and a field for athletic sports1 but   
these may in time be added4 ,food of the
 best quality is supplied for all who   
desire it at cost4 ,a dish of oatmeal   
and milk costs three cents2 a large     
scone with tea or coffee1 the same2     
,scotch broth or soup1 two cents2 stewed
 meat and potatoes1 eight cents2 roast  
beef or mutton1 with potatoes1 ten      
cents2 a good and sufficient meal need  
not cost over twelve cents4 ,standard   
wages are paid1 and two and one-half    
hours less time demanded than in private
 shops4  ,men work fifty-three hours    
weekly1 women forty-four4 ,most of the  
latter work in the shirt factory1 but   
they do not need to sing ,hood's ,song  
of the ,shirt4 ,sweating is unknown2    
every worker1 from the youngest to the  
oldest1 receives his or her share of the
 profits1 which amount to about #ae1jjj 
yearly4  ,here we have an almost ideal  

manufacturing establishment1 and if all 
were such we should have higher hopes   
for human health in the immediate future
 for our workers in factories4 ,it was  
the outgrowth1 the effort of the        
,scotch1 a highly intellectual race1 to 
adjust itself to its environment4       
,necessity and competition acting on    
them forced them to new and better      
adjustments4 ,such a result could hardly
 have been achieved by a less           
hard-headed and practical people1 a race
 on which evolution has for ages        
produced some of its best effects4      
,,hygiene4--,but ,i fancy you ask me1   
,is there any hope that in the future   
evolution1 and with it adjustment to    
environment1 will carry man so far that 
an ideal state of health will be the lot
 of all8 ,this is what hygiene promises4
 ,is it a vain hope8 ,if we look at what
 older sciences have done for man we    
find much to encourage us4 ,in          
astronomy1 by the aid of mathematics1 we
 can calculate with certitude the date  

of future eclipses4 ,in many other      
sciences we can make accurate           
predictions and accomplish results of   
the greatest importance4 ,indeed1       
science has become almost our only      
authority4 ,imperfect as it yet is1 we  
trust it1 perhaps1 too implicitly4 ,the 
science of hygiene is the youngest of   
all the sciences4 ,not that the ,greeks1
 the ,hebrews1 the ,hindoos and ,chinese
 did not have some practical knowledge  
on the subject1 but it was rude and     
empirical4 ,with the discoveries of     
micro-organisms as the cause of a series
 of the worst diseases1 we have begun to
 place hygiene alongside mathematics and
 chemistry4  ,we now know the origin of 
many diseases which formerly were       
enveloped in mystery4 ,can we remove    
them8 ,that is the next task4 ,hygiene  
will in the future busy itself with this
 great question4 ,it has1 it is         
believed1 already made many cities      
proof1 or almost proof1 against cholera 
and yellow fever4 ,it will try to make  

them proof against other contagious     
diseases also1 and it will without doubt
 succeed4 ,but its work will not then   
have been accomplished4 ,we may avoid   
the causes of disease and still be puny 
creatures4 ,our great task will be the  
building up of bodies equal to the needs
 of our environment4 ,this we have1 in a
 small way1 already begun to            
do--imitating the ancient ,greeks--in   
our schools of physical culture1 where  
the body can be trained up to its best1 
and also in our laboratories for        
psychological research1 in which the    
relation of mind and body are being     
carefully investigated1 where every     
subject connected with every function is
 being studied1 even weariness1 anger1  
hope1 despair1 drink1 food1 sleep1 the  
weather1 and their effects on function4 
,the results of such knowledge will     
prove beyond a doubt that the health of 
the body1 as well as of the mind1 is of 
the highest importance for success in   
life1 for happiness and usefulness1 and 

that we can do much to secure both4  ,my
 own personal hope for the future of    
human health lies in the evolution and  
spread of this gospel of hygiene4       
,hygiene interests itself in all that   
relates to human well-being4 ,it may be 
defined as the ethics of the body--the  
science of true living4 ,it promises    
health to all who obey its laws4 ,it    
makes no such promise to those who      
disregard them4 ,in the future1 no      
doubt1 a higher average of health will  
be the result of our ever-increasing    
knowledge2 and whenever we are able and 
willing to apply this knowledge to our  
own bodily and mental conduct we shall  
be amply rewarded4 ,this much we can    
safely promise1 but no more4 ,on the    
contrary1 the violators of hygienic laws
 will1 with their offspring1 suffer in  
the future as in the past1 and that     
suffering will be in the form of pain1  
disease1 degeneration1 premature death4 
,this may seem hard to many who are     
sensitive to the pains and sorrows of   

the world1 and some have gone so far as 
to attribute to the author of nature1   
the unknown cause of all things1 a      
character anything but good4 ,but this  
is a very erroneous way of looking at   
the subject4 ,to discuss it fully we    
should have to consider the question of 
the mystery of evil1 which cannot be    
done here4 ,suffice it to say1 the      
creation1 the evolution of the race1 is 
by law4 ,causes produce their legitimate
 results4 ,if it were not so1 our       
sufferings might be far greater1 and no 
progress would result4 ,let us be       
thankful that nature is as it is1 and   
let us do our best to put our lives in  
harmony with it4 ,by so doing1 we may in
 the end attain all that we strive for4 
,,the ,,germ ,,plasm2 ,,its ,,relation  
,,to ,,offspring4   ,the germ plasm is a
 most interesting and remarkable        
substance4 ,it must be interesting1 for 
everything which relates to life and    
reproduction is interesting4 ,it must be
 remarkable1 for out of it1 under proper

 conditions1 remarkable results are     
produced4 ,although our knowledge of its
 nature is very imperfect1 yet let us   
not on this account refuse to try to    
understand what little is known4  ,in   
the first place1 the germ plasm of      
animals which reproduce sexually is     
composed of two germ plasms--that of the
 male1 and that of the female4 ,that of 
the male is called the spermatozoon     
7pronounced sper'ma-to-zooen74 ,it is   
sometimes called spermatozoid2 the      
plural is spermatozoa4 ,it is           
exceedingly small1 the smallest of any  
cell in the body1 and has the power to  
move from place to place4 ,these cells  
are produced in enormous numbers1 and so
 far as they have been observed under   
the microscope they differ considerably 
in power of movement and in perfection  
of development4 ,considering their small
 size1 they must make a very long       
journey to find the ovum2 and if they   
were only few in number1 they would     
rarely succeed2 but existing in large   

numbers1 for there are millions of them 
produced in each sexual act of the male1
 some of them are pretty sure to do so1 
and1 probably in most cases1 it would be
 those most vigorous and capable of     
making the journey most direct and in   
the least time4  ,that of the female is 
called the ovum1 or egg2 plural1 ova4   
,only a small number are produced1 when 
compared with the number of the male    
spermatozoa1 but there are quite enough 
for the ends they are to serve4 ,they   
have not the same power of movement1    
though they do move somewhat as the     
amaeba does4 ,they are also very much   
larger than the male cells4  ,the eggs  
of all mammals look alike as they come  
from the ovaries1 but take on some      
changes afterward4 ,haeckel says3 ,every
 primitive egg being an entirely simple1
 somewhat round1 moving1 naked cell1    
possesses no membrane1 and consists only
 of a nucleus and protoplasm4 ,these two
 parts have long borne distinctive      
names3 the protoplasm being called the  

vitellus1 or yelk1 and the nucleus the  
germinal vesicle 7vesicula germinativa74
 ,the same author also says3 ,the human 
egg cannot be distinguished from that of
 most other mammals1 either in its      
immature or in its more complete        
condition4 ,its form1 its size1 its     
composition1 are approximately the same 
in all4 ,in its fully developed         
condition it has an average diameter of 
one-tenth of a line--about the one      
hundred and twentieth part of an inch4  
,if the mammalian egg is properly       
isolated1 and held on a plate of glass  
towards the light1 it appears to the eye
 as a very fine point4 ,the normal eggs 
of most of the higher mammals are of    
almost exactly the same size4 ,they have
 the same spherical form2 always the    
same characteristic covering2 always the
 same clear1 round germinal vesicle with
 its dark germinal spot4 ,even under the
 highest power of our best microscopes  
there appears to be no essential        
difference between the eggs of a human  

being and that of the ape1 the dog1 the 
cat or other animal4 ,this similarity is
 one of appearance only4 ,there is a    
difference1 and of this ,i shall speak  
later4 ,it may be asked if the egg of a 
bird is the same as the egg of a mammal4
 ,the mature bird's egg1 as it is laid  
in the nest1 differs materially from    
that of any mammal2 but in its miniature
 form1 as found in the hen's ovary1 it  
is also the same4 ,the egg of a bird    
after it leaves the ovary1 and as it    
passes along the oviduct1 takes on      
secretions in its passage which it      
converts into yelk1 and afterwards a    
shell is added to give it protection in 
the external world1 where it must       
undergo incubation before it can become 
a bird2 but before it takes on its shell
 it has been fertilized1 and this also  
causes other changes4 ,haeckel says3    
,after the ripe egg of the bird has left
 the ovary1 and has been fertilized in  
the oviduct1 it surrounds itself with   
various coverings which are secreted    

from the inner surface of the oviduct4  
,the thick layer of transparent albumen 
first forms round the yellow yelk2 this 
is followed by the formation of the     
outer calcareous shell1 within which is 
another envelope1 or skin4 ,all these   
coverings and additions which are       
gradually formed round the egg are of no
 importance to the development of the   
embryo2 they are parts which have       
nothing to do with the simple egg cell4 
,even in the case of other animals we   
often find large eggs with thick        
coverings4 ,for example1 the shark's2   
but even in this case the egg is        
originally exactly similar to those of  
mammals when in its primitive condition 
as it comes from the ovary4 ,in the case
 of the bird these additions serve only 
as food for the growing embryo1 which1  
in the case of mammals1 is furnished by 
a stream of the mother's blood1 making  
'stored-up' nutriment unnecessary4      
,before1 however1 we can have true germ 
plasm the mother cell must be fertilized

 by the male cell4 ,this is true of all 
the higher plants and animals4 ,there   
are some low plants and animals in which
 fertilization by the male cell is not  
required4 ,this has been called virginal
 generation4 ,in no mammal is this      
possible4  ,how fertilization takes     
place and what it signifies are both    
important questions which have not been 
entirely settled1 and it almost seems as
 if they could not be settled in some of
 their details1 except in the lower     
forms of life4 ,nature has so protected 
the process from observation in the     
higher animals that it cannot be studied
 in detail2 but in plants and the lowest
 animals it has been observed with some 
success1 and we may infer that the      
process is very much the same in the    
higher animals4  ,haeckel1 in his great 
work on the ,evolution of ,man1 tells us
 that ,the process of fertilization in  
sexual generation depends essentially on
 the fact that two dissimilar cells meet
 and blend4 ,in former times the        

strangest views prevailed with regard to
 this act4 ,men have always been        
disposed to regard it as thoroughly     
mystical1 and the most widely different 
hypotheses have been framed to account  
for it4 ,it is only within a few years  
that closer study has shown that the    
whole process of fertilization is       
extremely simple1 and entirely without  
special mystery4 ,essentially1 it       
consists merely in the fact that the    
male sperm-cell coalesces with the      
female egg-cell4 ,owing to its sinuous  
movements1 the very mobile sperm-cell   
finds its way to the female egg-cell1   
penetrates the membrane of the latter by
 a perforating motion1 and coalesces    
with its cell material4  ,a poet might  
find in this circumstance a capital     
opportunity for painting in glowing     
colors the wonderful mystery of         
fertilization2 he might describe the    
struggles of the 'seed animalcules'     
eagerly dancing round the egg-cell shut 
up in its many coverings1 disputing the 

passage through the minute pore-canals  
of the chorion1 and then of purpose     
burying themselves in the protoplasm of 
the yelk mass1 where1 in a spirit of    
self-sacrifice1 they completely efface  
themselves in the better 'ego4' ,but the
 critical naturalist very prosaically   
conceives this poetical incident1 this  
'crown of love1' as the mere coalescence
 of two cells6 ,the result of this is1  
that in the first place the egg-cell is 
rendered capable of further evolution1  
and1 secondly1 that the hereditary      
qualities of both parents can be        
transmitted to the child4  ,by          
coalescence is understood1 growing      
together1 not mingling as water and milk
 might when mixed4 ,more recent         
observations indicate that during       
coalescence both the male and female    
cells throw off some portions of their  
substance4 ,it is also considered that  
the important part of each cell is its  
nucleus4 ,in it all hereditary          
characteristics are stored up4 ,if the  

nucleus be absent in either cell these  
cells cannot reproduce4 ,in unicellular1
 or one-celled1 organisms1 it has been  
found in multiplication by division1 a  
part of the nucleus must go with each   
half1 otherwise the half without a part 
of it does not grow4 ,in experiments in 
laboratories1 artificial division of    
simple organisms may be made1 and each  
fragment will become a perfect creature 
if only a very small piece of the       
nucleus goes with the separated portion2
 but if a part is cut off without any of
 the nucleus1 then1 while it may live on
 for a short time1 it can not grow or   
propagate4  ,possibly we have here an   
explanation of some hereditary phenomena
 in human beings4 ,if there is an       
unequal division1 and more of the male  
than of the female nucleus1 the child   
might1 as a result1 inherit more of the 
father's than of the mother's           
characteristics1 or the reverse4  ,what 
has been so far said about the germ     
plasm has been to enable the reader to  

possess a degree of intelligence on the 
nature of fertilization1 so far as it is
 known2 but from a practical standpoint 
the most important knowledge for those  
prospective parents who wish to practice
 intelligent stirpiculture is to        
understand that the health of the germ  
plasm or fertilized ovum depends on the 
health of the parents4 ,by health1 ,i   
mean the possession of a good           
constitution1 to which will be added a  
strong hold on life1 power to do and to 
endure1 and quickly to recover from     
weariness4 ,disease will be easily      
warded off in such persons1 so that     
there will be generally good health4    
,such a condition of body is usually    
inherited4 ,it depends on the possession
 of a large supply in the body of living
 matter--firm muscles1 a good heart1    
lungs and digestive organs4 ,those who  
are feeble cannot endure much2 whose    
heart1 lungs and digestive organs are   
weak2 whose hold on life is slight1 can 
rarely endow their offspring with these 

high qualities4 ,their children may live
 if no great strain comes upon them2 but
 if they must take an active part in the
 struggle and competition going on in   
the world they cannot endure it4 ,mr4   
,spencer puts the case very aptly in his
 work on ,ethics where he says3 ,it     
results that where maternal vigor is    
great1 and the surplus vitality         
consequently large1 a long series of    
children may be borne before any        
deterioration in their quality becomes  
marked2 while1 on the other hand1 a     
mother with but a small surplus may soon
 cease altogether to reproduce4         
,further1 it results that variations in 
the state of health of parents which    
involves variations in the surplus      
vitality have their effects on the      
constitutions of offspring to the extent
 that offspring borne during greatly    
deranged maternal health are decidedly  
feebler4 ,and then1 lastly and chiefly1 
it results that after the constitutional
 vigor has culminated1 and there has    

commenced that gradual decline which in 
some twenty years or so brings absolute 
infertility1 there goes on a gradual    
decrease in that surplus vitality on    
which the production of offspring       
depends1 and a consequent deterioration 
in the quality of such offspring4 ,this 
which is a priori conclusion is verified
 a posteriori4  ,mr4 ,j4 ,mathews       
,duncan1 in his work on ,fecundity1     
,fertility1 ,sterility and allied       
topics1 has given results of statistics 
which show that mothers of twenty-five  
bear the finest infants1 and that from  
mothers whose ages at marriage range    
from twenty to twenty-five years there  
come infants which have a lower rate of 
mortality than those resulting from     
marriages consummated when the mothers' 
ages are smaller or greater4 ,the       
apparent slight incongruity between     
these two statements being due to the   
fact that whereas marriages commenced   
before twenty and twenty-five cover the 
whole of the period of highest vigor1   

marriages commenced at five and twenty  
cover a period which lacks the years    
during which vigor is rising to its     
climax and includes only the years of   
decline from the climax4  ,this         
quotation from ,mr4 ,spencer needs a    
qualifying remark4 ,mr4 ,galton1 in his 
work on ,hereditary ,genius1 found that 
the average age of mothers of men of the
 greatest ability was about thirty1 and 
of their fathers thirty-five4 ,in such  
cases1 the physical and intellectual    
strength must have been above the       
average1 and1 consequently1 it continued
 to a more advanced age4 ,besides1 those
 of great ability mature later4  ,it may
 also be added that ,duncan's           
statistics1 quoted by ,spencer1 are     
average statistics gathered from tables 
of mortality1 and include every class of
 persons4 ,now1 average statistics do   
not apply to individual cases1 and they 
would not apply to those highly endowed 
physically and intellectually4          
,further1 those who are well endowed at 

birth and whose lives are in accordance 
with hygienic law1 that is1 those who do
 not squander their physiological       
resources by sensuality1 by             
intemperance1 or by excesses of any sort
 retain their health to a greater age   
than those whose lives are the reverse4 
,such are of a youthful physiological   
age1 which is not altogether determined 
by the actual number of years they have 
lived1 but by very high physiological   
conditions4  ,from all this we conclude 
that a very important rule in the       
production of offspring1 if we would    
have those offspring superior1 is to    
maintain a high degree of health--a     
condition in which there is a surplus of
 physiological capital to produce       
children with endowments equal to1 if   
not superior to1 their parents4         
,another subject requires treatment     
here4 ,it is the effect of alcohol on   
offspring4 ,we are yet lacking in       
statistics giving the facts we need to  
know on this subject2 but the general   

observation of competent persons who    
have had good opportunities to study it 
may teach us something4 ,alcohol1 in its
 circulation in the blood1 penetrates   
every part2 not even the germ plasm     
escapes4 ,demme studied ten families of 
drinkers and ten families of temperate  
persons4 ,the direct posterity of the   
ten families of drinkers included       
fifty-seven children4 ,of these1        
twenty-five died in the first weeks and 
months of their lives2 six were idiots2 
in five a striking backwardness of their
 longitudinal growth was observed2 five 
were affected with epilepsy1 and five   
with inborn diseases4 ,thus1 of the     
fifty-seven children of drinkers only   
ten1 or #ag4e per cent41 had normal     
constitutions and healthful growth4 ,the
 ten sober families had sixty-one       
children1 five only dying in the first  
weeks2 four were affected with curable  
diseases of the nervous system2 two only
 had inborn defects4 ,the remaining     
fifty1 #ha4i per cent41 were normal in  

their constitutions and development4    
,in this statement we have a graphic    
object lesson of the evil effects of    
alcohol on the germ plasm4 ,natural     
selection had far more to do in removing
 those unfit to survive in the          
intemperate than in the temperate       
families4  ,a knowledge of the evil     
effects of alcohol on the unborn child  
was known to the ancients4 ,the mother  
of ,sampson was warned not to drink any 
wine or strong drink nor to eat any     
unclean thing because she was to        
conceive and bear a son who was to      
deliver ,israel out of the hands of the 
,philistines4 ,manoah was so interested 
in what the angel of the ,lord had said 
to his wife that he sought an interview 
with him for further confirmation1 and  
asked3 ,how shall we order the child1   
and how shall we do unto him8 evidently 
meaning1 ,how shall we train and educate
 him8 and the same advice was given as  
before4 ,whatever view the reader may   
hold as to the inspiration or           

non-inspiration of the ,bible1 certainly
 this advice was good4 ,other examples  
similar to it are to be found1 not only 
in the same book1 but in numerous       
historical works1 and also abundant     
evidence in our own time of the evil    
effects of alcoholic drinks on unborn   
children giving them a tendency to      
insanity1 idiocy and other nervous      
diseases4 ,a whole book might be written
 on this branch of our subject4  ,to    
what extent food affects the germ plasm 
we remain somewhat in ignorance4 ,we    
know that it is from it that the body is
 nourished1 and from it also the stored 
up or surplus matter in our systems is  
obtained4 ,the larger the surplus the   
more highly will the offspring be       
endowed with energy is a fact clearly   
set forth by ,mr4 ,spencer4 ,a surplus  
of fatty food stored up in the body1    
however1 cannot be of much service and  
may prove injurious4 ,a deficiency of   
nitrogenous food would also1 it seems to
 me1 be an evil4 ,the germ plasm1 or its

 most important part1 is a highly       
nitrogenous substance1 like all         
protoplasm1 or living matter4 ,the      
highest form of germ plasm1 that with a 
most complex molecular structure1 would 
hardly be formed if there was a         
deficiency of nitrogenous matter in the 
blood4  ,air is also food the same as   
bread is4 ,the activities1 the chemical 
changes in the body1 are mainly1 though 
not entirely1 between the oxygen of the 
air and the carbon and hydrogen of our  
food4 ,the body is quite as much injured
 by a deficiency of air inhaled into the
 lungs by exercise as by a deficiency of
 food1 though the injury may be of a    
different nature4 ,physicians and others
 have long ago observed that the        
offspring of parents living much in the 
open air and sunlight are healthier and 
stronger than those of parents living in
 confined spaces1 where air and light   
are deficient4 ,air which is impure1    
which is loaded with poisonous matter1  
if inhaled for a long time by the       

mother1 lowers the standard of her      
health4 ,in malarious regions1 the vigor
 of the offspring is less1 and the      
number who die in infancy greater1 than 
in regions where the air and water are  
pure4 ,many years ago ,i remember       
reading in one of the journals devoted  
to sanitary science published in        
,london1 an account of a rural town     
where both air and water were of        
extraordinary purity1 and in this town a
 very large percentage of the children  
born lived to grow to maturity4 ,there  
is also an isolated region in ,france1  
bordering on the sea1 where both air1   
water and climate are unusually         
salubrious1 and though intermarriage has
 been practiced for a long time among   
the several thousand inhabitants1 the   
people are remarkably well formed and   
healthy4 ,similar facts have been       
observed in other places4 ,they indicate
 to us that a healthful climate1 with   
good air and water1 are important       
factors in all true stirpiculture4      

,while all diseases which exhaust the   
physiological resources of the system   
are detrimental to the offspring1 there 
are certain ones which are peculiarly   
so4 ,specific diseases or those         
resulting from a sensual life are the   
first to be mentioned4 ,if the bodies of
 either father or mother become         
saturated with the poison1 which is     
probably a germ1 then the child born of 
such parents will certainly be infected 
and either die at birth or live only a  
short and feeble life4 ,it is one of the
 penalties of an impure life--a very    
severe one1 no doubt1 but perhaps not   
too severe1 that the offspring of the   
sensualist must suffer the penalties for
 its parent's physiological sins4       
,medical men have long been trying to   
discover a remedy which will make it    
safe for a man infected with specific   
disease to marry and become a father1   
but so far they have not had much       
success4 ,it is doubtful if they ever   
will4  ,epilepsy is another disease     

which is so often transmitted to        
children that any one of either sex     
suffering from it had better abstain    
from parentage4 ,if one parent is       
remarkably healthy1 the children may    
escape the severest form of penalty2 but
 even then they may suffer from         
nervousness and other diseases1 and     
rarely enjoy robust health4  ,the       
question whether persons who have a     
consumptive tendency should become      
parents or not has frequently been      
discussed by sanitarians1 but never     
settled4 ,such persons are frequently   
intellectual1 and often of an unusually 
cheerful and hopeful disposition4 ,they 
are1 in most cases1 quite prolific4 ,in 
the female they generally make excellent
 wives and mothers2 in the case of the  
male1 they are not uncommonly good      
providers for their families1 and also  
good fathers4 ,except in the worst      
cases1 does the welfare of the race     
demand that they shall not marry and    
become parents4 ,probably not4 ,but we  

must advise them to take the very best  
care of their imperfect bodies2 to      
develop their chests by wise but not    
excessive physical training2 to husband 
their physiological resources carefully2
 not to marry young1 nor rear too many  
children4 ,excessive childbearing is a  
prolific cause in women of consumption1 
and excessive sexual indulgence is a    
frequent cause of it in both sexes4     
,these remarks should not be construed  
to mean that those who are already in   
the early stages of this disease1 or    
whose families on both sides have been  
deeply affected by it1 may become       
parents4 ,they should not4 ,but in the  
present state of society1 we cannot hold
 men and women up to an ideal standard4 
,some slight risks may be taken1 but not
 too great ones4 ,as the race progresses
 in knowledge1 however1 we may raise our
 standards1 and finally make them so    
high that no one with a tendency to any 
serious disease which is likely to      
affect the offspring unfavorably shall  

have any right to contribute to the     
world's population4  ,i have mentioned  
only a few of the many diseases which   
affect the germ plasm unfavorably4 ,it  
is hardly necessary to extend the list4 
,one other subject deserves             
consideration1 when ,i will bring this  
chapter to a close4 ,every child born   
into the world is1 to a certain extent1 
an experiment4 ,that is to say1 the     
parents cannot predict its sex1 nor what
 its chief characteristics will be4     
,these depend on what potentialities are
 stored up in the germ plasm4 ,if this  
be formed by parents in good health1    
with a surplus of vital force1 and a    
long line of ancestors with normal      
lives1 we may believe that if the       
environment be favorable1 the child will
 develop so as to show the same         
characteristics1 perhaps in an even     
higher degree4 ,whatever variations     
there are will not be much below or     
above the average line of its ancestors4
 ,the congenital characters will tend to

 be transmitted4 ,they are in the germ  
plasm1 even in great detail4 ,whether   
the acquired ones are transmitted may   
still be uncertain2 but whether they are
 or not1 normal right living will be    
sure to have good effects4 ,obey the    
laws of life and far better results will
 follow than if they are disobeyed4     
,,fewer ,,and ,,better ,,children4   ,in
 the present age suggestions on this    
subject may seem superfluous4 ,the more 
highly educated and wealthy classes have
 already sufficiently reduced the number
 of children which they bring into the  
world4 ,but are these offspring any     
better than they would have been had    
their parents given birth to a larger   
number8  ,mr4 ,darwin did not think much
 could be done to improve the race by   
parents limiting the number of their    
offspring4 ,he would trust to natural   
selection to weed out the unfit1 and to 
sexual selection as an aid4 ,he thus    
describes the probable manner of action 
of sexual selection among primeval men3 

,the strongest and most vigorous        
men--those who could best defend and    
hunt for their families2 those who were 
provided with the best weapons and      
possessed the most property1 such as a  
large number of dogs or other           
animals--would succeed in rearing a     
greater average number of offspring than
 the weaker and poorer members of the   
same tribes4 ,such men would doubtless  
generally be able to select the more    
attractive women4 4 4 4 ,if1 then1 this 
be admitted1 it would be an             
unexplainable circumstance if the       
selection of the more attractive women  
by the more powerful men of the tribes1 
who would rear on the average a greater 
number of children1 did not1 after the  
lapse of generations1 modify the        
character of the tribes4  ,the way in   
which the tribe would be modified would 
be by its producing better children4 ,of
 course among primitive men the richer  
and more powerful had several wives1 but
 it is not likely that the number of    

children by each one was large4         
,natural selection is1 however1 a       
painful process1 necessary1 no doubt1   
where ignorance prevails2 but if the    
number of children of each pair could be
 limited and of a superior character1 so
 far as vigor and adaptation to         
environment are concerned1 would there  
not be less need for natural selection  
with all its evils8 ,it seems to us that
 this would be so4  ,we have already    
quoted ,grant ,allen as favoring        
abstinence from parenthood on the part  
of the unfit and the duty on the part of
 the fit to become parents1 and1        
theoretically1 ,mr4 ,allen is right2 but
 except as both of these classes are    
swayed by duty we would make little     
progress in this way4 ,a majority of    
mankind think they are the fit4 ,why    
should they crucify their desires for   
the benefit of the race8 ,as mankind    
becomes more moral ,mr4 ,allen's views  
may have a larger influence on thought  
than now2 but before that time little   

can be expected from them4  ,mr4        
,spencer says3 ,we have fallen upon evil
 times1 in which it has come to be an   
accepted doctrine that part of the      
responsibilities of parenthood are to be
 discharged1 not by parents1 but by the 
public--a part which is gradually       
becoming a larger part1 and threatens to
 become the whole4 ,agitators and       
legislators have united in spreading a  
theory which1 logically followed out1   
ends in the monstrous conclusion that it
 is for parents to beget children and   
for society to take care of them4 ,the  
political ethics now in fashion makes   
the unhesitating assumption that while  
each man1 as parent1 is not responsible 
for the mental culture of his offspring 
he is1 as a citizen along with other    
citizens1 responsible for the mental    
culture of all other men's offspring6   
,and this absurd doctrine has now become
 so well established that people raise  
their eyes in astonishment if you deny4 
,but this ignoring of the truth1 that   

only by due discharge of parental       
responsibilities has all life on the    
earth arisen1 and that only through the 
better discharge of them have there     
gradually been made possible better     
types of life1 is1 in the long run1     
fatal4 ,breach of natural law will1 in  
this case1 as in all cases1 be followed 
in due time by nature's revenge--a      
revenge which will be terrible in       
proportion as the breach has been great4
 ,a system under which parental duties  
are performed wholesale by those who are
 not parents1 under the plea that many  
parents cannot or will not perform their
 duties--a system which fosters the     
inferior children of inferior parents at
 the cost of superior parents and       
consequent injury of superior           
children--a system which thus helps     
incapables to multiply and hinders the  
multiplication of capables or diminishes
 their capability must bring decay and  
ultimate extinction4 ,a society which   
persists in such a system must--other   

things equal--go to the wall in the     
competition with a society which does   
not commit this folly of nourishing its 
worst at the expense of its best4  ,we  
have evidence among primitive people    
that they understand the necessity of   
limiting offspring1 and practice it in a
 perfectly healthful way4 ,the natives  
of ,uganda1 a region in ,central        
,africa1 offers an illustration3 ,the   
women rarely have more than two or three
 children2 the practice is that when a  
woman has borne a child she is to live  
apart from her husband for two years1 at
 which age children are weaned4         
,seaman1 speaking of the ,fijians1 says3
 ,after childbirth husband and wife keep
 apart three and even four years1 so    
that no other baby may interfere with   
the time considered necessary for       
suckling children4  ,some fifty years   
ago there lived in ,new ,york a young   
couple1 strong1 healthy1 ambitious to be
 rich1 and both saving and industrious  
enough to become so under ordinary      

conditions4 ,the husband was in a       
business which required constant        
attention2 and in order to promote it   
and save the expense of help which he   
thought he could not afford1 he labored 
nights1 often up to the hours of twelve 
and sometimes one o'clock1 and then     
arose early and went at it again4 ,his  
wife sympathized with him in all his    
undertakings1 helped him in every way   
possible1 even to the sharing of his    
midnight toils4 ,in no way did either of
 them spare themselves4 ,they knew      
something of the evils of poverty1 and  
were determined that it should not      
always be their lot4 ,fortune favored   
them1 and their bank account grew larger
 and larger until they could count the  
value of their possessions as amounting 
to several million dollars4 ,they lived 
in a fine country seat1 and could       
gratify every wish1 so far as food1     
clothing1 books and travel were         
concerned4 ,during their early married  
life1 when the strain of work was the   

greatest1 two children were born unto   
them1 both boys1 and they are alive     
today2 but are they a comfort to their  
parents1 and a help in their declining  
years8 ,instead of this they are both   
deformed and cripples1 unable to help   
themselves or do any labor4 ,their      
family physician has told me that the   
overwork and privation of the parents at
 the time of their birth and before1 was
 undoubtedly the cause of the children's
 inferiority4 ,a younger son born after 
the wife had ceased to toil like a      
slave1 gives some promise of being a man
 of character4  ,we have here a typical 
case of strong1 healthy parents1 with a 
limited number of offspring1 yet they   
were not superior4 ,on the other hand1  
it would be easy to collect a large     
number of instances where the children  
in large families have had superior     
endowments4 ,take ,benjamin ,franklin as
 an example4 ,he was the fifteenth child
 of his father1 ,josiah ,franklin1 and  
the eighth of the ten children of his   

mother4  ,it seems that superiority is a
 result of great vigor and perfection of
 body and mind and of abundant          
reproductive power4 ,where this is      
absent the children will hardly be      
superior4 ,yet in both cases a certain  
degree of limitation ought to be        
advantageous4  ,in conclusion1 let me   
say what ,i have indirectly said        
already4 ,let the strong1 the capable   
and the good rear as many children as   
they can without overburdening          
themselves in any way1 and let the weak1
 the imperfect and the bad rear few or  
none1 but devote their lives to         
perfecting their own characters4 ,in    
this way the future race will be        
modified for good and not for evil4     
,a ,,theoretical ,,baby4  ,reported by  
request of ,dr4 ,holbrook4   ,it was our
 first baby4 ,i was making a living as a
 doctor by writing articles on the      
general care of the health2 and my wife 
before her marriage had been a          
kindergartner1 a trainer of             

kindergartners1 and a lecturer to       
mothers on the scientific and expert    
methods of rearing children aright4 ,we 
believed in the theories we had taught1 
and our baby got nothing else from the  
start4 ,according to the first applied  
theory1 we made our temporary home      
before the boy began to be1 in the      
,rocky ,mountains of ,colorado2 and were
 a large part of the time either in our 
garden or on horseback1 in this perfect 
outdoor climate4 ,my wife was entirely  
in love with me1 and ,i made each day   
count for nothing more certainly than to
 deserve and return that sentiment of   
hers4 ,we lived simply but freely1 and  
had next to no anxieties4 ,my wife had  
practiced general gymnastics for years2 
but for months prior to the birth of her
 boy1 she every day went through with a 
series of special maternal gymnastics1  
by which the muscles that aid in        
parturition can be made strong and      
entirely to be relied upon4 ,we were    
rewarded for this outlay of time in a   

delivery that was rapid and easy1       
without more than an ounce of           
haemorrhage1 and everything so perfectly
 controlled that--except for the        
inconvenience of it--the presence and   
aid of the physician 7myself7 might have
 been dispensed with4 ,recovery was     
rapid also4 ,my wife made no haste to   
get up1 keeping quiet most of the time  
for two weeks1 to ensure good milk4 ,but
 she did a family washing without effort
 after three weeks1 and was on horseback
 again by the sixth week4 ,the baby was 
not severed from his mother till ten    
minutes after birth 7ensuring a better  
blood supply74 ,then he got no bath1 no 
food1 no dressing process2 but was      
simply swathed in cotton batting and    
laid aside for six hours in a padded    
box-bed1 surrounded by bottles of hot   
water1 and covered with plenty of soft  
blankets1 to sleep and get used to his  
new environment4 ,on the second day we  
began rubbing him daily from head to    
foot with vaseline4 ,his first bath1    

with a flannel cloth dipped in warm milk
 diluted with soft water and without    
soap1 came when he was a week old1 and  
was followed by the thorough rub with   
vaseline4 ,this bath he has had nearly  
every day up to date4 ,he has often     
cried1 or crowed and begged for this    
bath2 but never cried during its        
performance1 except when his clothes    
were being replaced4 ,on the contrary1  
he enjoys every moment of it4  ,feeding 
began with a meal every hour of the     
twenty-four1 for the first week4 ,then  
night feeding was reduced to two meals1 
and he was fed every two hours1 from    
four or five o'clock in the morning till
 nine at night1 till two months old4    
,about then he began sleeping right     
through the nights2 and until three     
months old was fed every three hours of 
the day time2 then for a month he went  
four hours between his meals4 ,at his   
fourth month began the present regime of
 four meals per diem4 ,now and then he  
has cried in the night from thirst1 and 

a few spoonsful of cold water have      
sufficed to send him off to sleep again4
 ,all in all1 ,i think ,i could count on
 my fingers the times that he has       
wakened us out of hours1 and not once   
has anyone walked the floor with him4   
,in fact1 no diversions of this sort    
have ever been practiced on him4 ,he has
 never been rocked to sleep2 whenever   
cross or fretful in the day1 we have    
known that sleep was all he needed1 and 
into his little bed he has been promptly
 plumped1 and covered with a loosely    
knit afghan1 tented on a light          
framework1 which we call the            
extinguisher4 ,here shut away and       
entirely unnoticed he soon learned to   
give himself up to his own reflections1 
and then presently to sleep4 ,thus we   
have kept down the first great nuisance 
of ordinary infancy1 namely1 egoism and 
a habit of howling for attention when no
 attention is really needed4 ,but social
 relations1 and those of the gayest1 he 
has constantly with both his parents4   

,we take up and make into play with him 
each idea of his own4 ,we have shown him
 some finger-plays4 ,in the main we     
leave him to originate his own          
amusements4  ,from the keeping of       
stomach and bowels absolutely healthy1  
by a regular and reasonable exercise of 
their all-important functions1 not only 
has the boy been free from irritability1
 and spontaneously happy and            
self-amused1 sometimes quiet1 and       
sometimes jolly to overflowing4 ,but the
 second great nuisance of those         
ordinarily attending baby-raising1      
namely1 sour stomach followed by colic1 
was eliminated4 ,a secondary result of  
this entire regularity of functioning at
 the upper end of the alimentary canal  
was that a like regularity set in at the
 other end4 ,that is1 at the thirteenth 
week he began to have but one daily     
passage of faecal matter1 and that soon 
after breakfast4 ,of the approach of    
this act he notified his mother without 
fail1 and thereafter we had no soiled   

diapers4 ,movements were received on    
pieces of old cloth1 and cloth and all  
tossed into a pan of ashes1 or the fire1
 when we had one4 ,when1 at six months1 
we put him onto cow's milk1 mixed with  
thin graham porridge1 to supply the     
extra nourishment demanded by rapid     
growth1 he went up to two movements per 
diem--morning and evening4 ,thus1 the   
third great nuisance of of diaper       
washing was eliminated1 in its more     
disagreeable feature4 ,eructation of    
curds1 rashes1 colic1 diarrhoea--these  
common ailments of ordinary babyhood1 we
 have never had a sight of4 ,we believe 
it due solely to strict adherence to the
 four-meals-a-day plan4 ,these consist  
of an early breakfast1 a later          
breakfast1 a dinner about one o'clock   
and a supper between six and seven4 ,the
 bath comes at any convenient time4 ,on 
pleasant days1 even in winter1 he is    
outdoors1 well wrapped1 in a chair1 for 
hours1 and often has a long nap there4  
,he was provided1 by my own needle and  

penknife1 with an ample fur sleeping    
sack1 into which he is securely buttoned
 every evening and laid in his box-bed1 
on a trunk4 ,he never sleeps with his   
parents4 ,according to the coolness or  
coldness of the nights1 additional      
covering1 in the shape of soft blankets 
and shawls1 is laid in on the box1 their
 weight supported by the edges of the   
box4 ,he cannot uncover himself1 but he 
can kick freely1 and use his arms4 ,we  
dressed him1 from the first1 in the     
,gertrude system of baby clothes1       
introduced by ,dr4 ,grosvenor1 of       
,chicago--all woolen princess garments1 
with shirring strings at the lower hems1
 by which they are made closed bags1    
ending just below the feet2 warm1 but   
allowing of kicking ad libitum4 ,at five
 months--it being winter time--he went  
into short clothes1 including solid     
suits of warm flannel underwear1 shirts1
 drawers and long snug-fitting          
stockings4 ,he has never had a cold4    
,his muscles1 from the first 7due to his

 mother's gymnastics71 were firm and    
active1 like those of an adult4 ,at the 
fourth week he surprised us by          
suspending his entire weight from his   
hands and arms one morning4 ,legs1 neck1
 back and hands particularly have       
developed steadily in power and         
quickness4 ,there was never any fat     
deposited--that avant courier of so much
 infant mortality--yet he is1 and has   
been all along1 a rosy1 plump1 dimpled  
baby1 or boy1 rather1 for babyhood very 
early lost its hold on him4 ,too often  
children seem finally to emerge from the
 miseries and ailments of a tedious     
infancy and to take on1 at last1        
individuality and distinct character at 
the second or third year4 ,this child1  
per contra1 having never had a sensation
 of illness1 or of pain1 save honest    
hunger1 has seemed to be a happy little 
boy almost from the first1 alert or     
thoughtful1 shouting or cooing1 laughing
 and crowing1 especially after his meals
 and movements1 studying the world of   

things about him by the hour1 keenly    
appreciative of colors and of music1 and
 preferring some sorts to others1 his   
face crossed by vivid changes of        
expression1 wonder1 merriment1 surprise1
 reverie--all as perfect at six months  
as ordinarily seen at three years4 ,he  
has good color from head to foot1 is    
pale when hungry1 but the moment a bit  
of food is down expands to his most     
genial flow of spirits4 ,immediately    
after his day-time naps his cheeks are  
regularly flushed and rosy4 ,his spirits
 become more pronounced toward each     
evening1 reaching their high-point of   
talking1 laughing1 crowing and squealing
 at just about bed-time4 ,he keeps it up
 for some time after being tucked away  
for the night1 till sleep masters him2  
and begins where he left off early next 
morning4 ,all this is good physiology4  
,so happy day succeeds happy day1 and we
 trust and hope that many good          
tendencies are getting a fair start in a
 harmonious and spontaneous beginning of

 this great work of growing up that we  
are fostering but not forcing4   ,,at   
,,one ,,year ,,old4--,everything        
continues as begun4 ,teething at times  
causes slight transient fretfulness1 and
 more cold water is drunk4 ,the bowels  
remain absolutely regular4 ,the         
all-night sleep 7never put to sleep17   
and two day-time naps are unchanged1 in 
all thirteen or fourteen hours of sleep 
per diem4 ,on warm days he needs and    
gets plenty of cool water to drink1     
often two-thirds of a pint at a time4   
,talking1 standing and creeping he has  
attained by his own unaided initiative  
7this on principle74 ,as for amusements1
 he invents his own always1 except when 
engaged in social exchange with his     
father and mother1 and in these1 too1 we
 are careful that he makes at least half
 the advances4  ,on particular occasions
 he comes in need of mothering--and gets
 it4 ,on all others he simply lives with
 two big but highly sympathetic         
playfellows2 and he has developed       

separate lines of play and talk for     
each4 ,often he chooses to alternate as 
between two poles of attraction1 turning
 his face to his mother's for her       
sympathy between shouts to his father1  
or vice versa4 ,from week to week we    
notice that the older plays are mostly  
dropped one by one1 and fresh ones      
invented4 ,all1 however1 are real and   
vivid to him4  ,in early prospect we    
have but two more points to compass4    
,perfect health in all respects he has  
intact4 ,self-control and               
self-sufficiency1 both in amusing       
himself and in enduring lesser ills1    
such as bumps and mild degrees of       
hunger1 he is getting as fast as growth 
permits4 ,but obedience and             
responsibility will soon be needed in   
his repertoire4 ,negative obedience his 
mother is obtaining already in response 
to ,no1 no1 and shakes of the head4     
,positive obedience will be the far more
 vital thing to secure--just as soon as 
he can help in little ways4 ,here we    

hope to make him responsible as far as  
can be for the welfare1 safety and      
amusement of younger playfellows1       
whether brother or sister it is now too 
soon to say4   ,,at ,,eighteen          
,,months4--,a cold douche has1 for three
 months past1 ended his morning bath1   
regularly given by his father after his 
sister arrived1 and his weight became   
considerable4 ,this douche1 poured      
slowly from a dipper until redness set  
in1 has added markedly to his spirits1  
muscular activity and digestive         
capacity4 ,it causes screaming at the   
moment1 but an instant later1 as three  
,turkish towels are wrapped closely     
about him1 his exuberance is delightful 
to see4 ,coincidently he has taken up a 
selected diet of solid food1 including  
chocolate and cooked fruits1 and will   
have but one nap1 though often that is a
 long one4  ,as the child is working out
 of babyhood1 every day counting 7as no 
day of half illness in childhood can    
count71 and well into boyhood1 the      

single principle already outlined1 of   
leaving the little individuality to     
establish its own activities and        
socialities1 seems sufficient1 as the   
illustrations appended1 ,i believe1     
prove4 ,doubtless a child that is not1  
day after day1 enjoying1 and often      
thrilled by health and life1 as this    
little boy is1 a child not brought up in
 an unbroken camaraderie with both      
parents1 such as he has had1 and        
particularly a child not having the     
send-off of trust and amiable impulse   
which he received before his birth1     
could not be left to blossom in such    
wild-flower style4 ,ugly1 sulky or      
streaky conduct1 jumping perversely out 
in place of good cheer1 we have never   
had to deal with4 ,in fact1 we have     
never been able to detect the slightest 
resentment immediately after punishing  
him for taking forbidden articles1 or   
for raising an outcry over being denied 
sundry things he wanted4 ,his crying    
when punished is that of pure grief1 and

 he is ready at once to nestle down     
under the hand that had spatted         
disapproval1 to be comforted1 resuming  
good spirits two or three minutes later 
on4 ,in the main1 simply ,no1 no6 from  
either parent1 has sufficed to stop him 
in the beginnings of mischief1 sometimes
 resulting in cheerful desisting1 and   
sometimes in a little of what we call   
the grieved cry4 ,but this1 too1 if it  
becomes loud or insistent1 can be hushed
 by another ,no1 no1 and enable him to  
regain control of himself4 ,with this   
regained self-control has always come   
gratefulness for aid in the matter1 as  
evinced by extra sweetness and          
brightness immediately after1 and eager 
resumption of some one or other of his  
plays or calls with one or both of us4  
,this may be what is known as           
discipline4 ,it always brings a smile to
 our faces1 however4  ,without a break  
of more than a day or two at a time1 we 
have been able to be equally near him   
all the while1 and divide up about      

equally the matters of bathing1 feeding1
 dressing and undressing him4 ,the      
conventional estimate of those standing 
nearest to a child of1                  
#a--,mother1      #b--,nurse1           
#c--,teacher1      #d--,servants and    
playmates1      #e--,older brother or   
sister1      #f--;,father--the man      
behind the newspaper1  certainly does   
not apply here4 ,when ,i am absent for  
from three to six hours his uneasiness  
sets in1 and grows stronger and         
stronger1 ending in repeated expeditions
 to a short distance along the road1    
where he stands and calls ,vager1       
,vager1 7,father1 ,father17 at first    
hopefully1 then protestingly1 and       
sometimes at last with indignation or   
tears4 ,when ,i return--and he listens  
and catches the first distant sound of  
hoofs1 or wheels1 or whinny of the      
left-at-home colts1 or voice1 or opening
 gate--an eager1 beaming face welcomes  
me from gate or doorway1 or even several
 rods down the beaten snow on the road4 

,once back1 things are all right in his 
little domain again1 and he goes on1    
without special attention to me1 in his 
series of occupations and plays4  ,i say
 occupations4 ,they are nothing else to 
him2 serious matters that he goes about 
accomplishing4 ,he is at his best when  
he can help his mother at her           
work--blowing the fire1 bringing her    
kindling1 handing her clothespins one by
 one as she needs them1 shutting or     
opening doors on request1 picking up    
articles from the floor4 ,but there are 
many hours continuously when he is left 
to his own devices1 which are numerous1 
though many of them he goes through     
daily1 such as feeding the cat1 visiting
 his little sister1 emptying and        
refilling the wall-pockets1 collecting  
his blocks1 and fishing articles off the
 table with a long stick4 ,he has       
learned1 untaught1 to get a cloth to    
open the stove door with and save burned
 fingers2 to get and bring clean diapers
 to his mother when he wishes a change2 

to stoop and lap water out of the pail2 
to stand by his bed and point up at it  
when wishing his mid-day nap2 to retreat
 to a dark corner and drape his         
handkerchief over his head for a brief  
period towards the close of a day1 in   
lieu of the discarded second nap2 to    
scoop bread or biscuit out of a pail    
hung above his reach1 with an iron      
spoon2 to lasso peaches toward him with 
a cord1 said peaches being in pan on the
 floor just beyond where he could reach 
from a little gate separating the       
kitchen and sitting-room4 ,none of these
 things has been taught him4 ,nothing   
whatever has been taught him1 and       
especially no words and no tricks4 ,he  
invents or does without1 in all         
non-essential matters1 in regular       
,spartan style4 ,so1 in pursuit of his  
own undertakings1 he rarely asks for    
what he would have2 just tries and      
tries1 day after day1 until he succeeds 
or is beaten4 ,but as he is at some new 
act or plan much of the time when left  

to himself1 he has1 we are satisfied1   
independently attained to more of       
childish accomplishment than the most   
incessant teaching processes could have 
effected4 ,in doing what he does do1 for
 instance1 in certain climbing feats1 he
 has slowly worked up to1 he is both    
cautious and sure2 he rarely tumbles and
 never loses his confidence4 ,thus for  
the past two days he has achieved the   
feat of climbing up and standing erect  
on a little box fourteen inches high1   
where he calls and shouts and roars to  
us his ecstacy over the matter for ten  
minutes at a time4 ,today only he has   
found out how to get down alone4        
,contrast is taken here with the        
frequent falls and wailings of children 
who are first persuaded into attempts of
 various sorts1 but have not worked out 
a real personal mastery of given acts   
for themselves4  ,he has quite a        
vocabulary now of his own invention4    
,the meanings of these terms we have    
learned mostly1 and use them to him4 ,of

 our vocabulary he understands the      
meanings of a large number of the words 
for things in which he is interested1   
forty or fifty nouns1 and a dozen verbs1
 perhaps4 ,he sings to his mother1 and  
now and then to me1 rude imitations of  
the songs he has heard us sing1 and his 
mother he roughly accompanies4 ,his     
inflections of voice have developed to  
the point of entirely expressing many of
 his emotions2 while his expressions of 
face are as much beyond these as the    
inflections are beyond his stock of     
,english--about seven words1 and those  
requiring some exigency to bring out4   
,all this pleases us1 because we truly  
want him to become rich in his own life1
 to subsist and grow in his own         
home-made lines of feeling and thought2 
and not to learn words1 parrot-like1    
before he has the thought formed1 and   
searching1 even struggling1 for a means 
by which to convey itself4 ,it is dearth
 of internal life1 emotion and unaided  
thought that is in need of replenishment

 in the average young person1 not lack  
of ,english dictionary terms for things 
that can be talked about1 but are       
evidently not intrinsic and personal4   
,c4 ,w4 ,,lyman1 ,m4 ,d4  ,new ,castle1 
,col4     ,,notes4   ,war and           
,parentage4  ,in the interests of unborn
 children we should1 so far as possible1
 remove from the world those causes     
which1 acting on the mother1 either     
directly or indirectly1 may injure them 
by lowering the standard of their       
health1 or by altering and debasing     
their moral and intellectual natures4   
,one of the most potent of the causes   
for harm is war4 ,war has generally been
 regarded as one of the ennobling       
professions4 ,if we look upon it in its 
most favorable light1 all that we can   
say in its favor is that among primitive
 and barbarous races it has perhaps     
resulted in the preservation and spread 
of the most capable ones1 and that it   
has at the same time welded them        
together into larger groups1 and finally

 into nations1 and habituated them to   
those restraints which are necessary to 
social existence2 but we no longer      
require it for this purpose1 and the    
industrial pursuits and the evolution of
 civilization are so disturbed by them  
that they should cease1 and especially  
should they cease in the interest of our
 children1 both born and unborn4  ,how  
can war injure children8 ,we have       
already shown in the chapter on         
,prenatal ,culture that when the mother 
is under the influence of any powerful  
mental emotion1 such as fear1           
depression1 anger and similar passions  
during the months in which the child is 
being developed in her womb1 there is   
very great danger of permanent injury to
 it4 ,only the strongest mothers1 those 
with the most robust health1 or who have
 the most stable nerves1 those who are  
rarely thrown off their balance1 are    
capable of resisting the intense        
excitements to which they are subject   
during some of the phases of war4  ,as  

,i mentioned in my early work on        
,marriage and ,parentage1 ,esquirol1 a  
,french historian1 gives details of a   
considerable number of cases of children
 born soon after some of the sieges of  
the ,french ,revolution1 which were     
weakly1 nervous and idiotic1 on account 
of the terrible strain to which their   
mothers had been subjected4 ,in every   
war where a city is besieged1 even if   
its women and children are sent away1   
they cannot be altogether free from     
anxieties and mental strains of a most  
unwholesome nature1 and if some of them 
are soon to become mothers1 the         
offspring not yet born must suffer4 ,no 
one can estimate the vast number of     
children injured under such conditions  
in the ages past4 ,they have been only  
incidentally referred to in history4    
,the fame and glory of conquerors must  
not be dimmed by the relation of such   
occurrences4  ,joseph ,a4 ,allen1 in    
,the ,christian ,register1 gives the    
results of some of his observations     

which bear on this subject4 ,he says3   
,so much is being said about war and its
 effects1 that ,i am prompted to send   
you the result of my observations4  ,i  
was in charge of the ,massachusetts     
,state ,reform ,school for several      
years1 when every inmate 7there were    
between three and four hundred7 was born
 before the ,civil ,war--during the time
 of the great anti-slavery agitation1   
which did so much to educate the moral  
sense of the people4  ,i was again in   
charge of the same institution when     
every inmate was born during1 or soon   
after the war1 when the mothers were    
reading1 talking and dreaming of        
battles1 and of husbands1 fathers or    
brothers who had gone to the war4  ,i   
found as great a difference in the      
character of those inmates born before  
and after the ,civil ,war as exists     
between a civilized and a savage nation4
  ,those under my care the second time  
were much more difficult to control1    
more quarrelsome and defiant1 less      

willing to work or study4 ,the crimes   
for which they were sentenced were as   
different as their characters4  ,it was 
not uncommon for them to be sentenced   
for breaking and entering with deadly   
weapons4  ,this difference was not      
confined to inmates of reform schools1  
but it was manifest throughout all      
classes4  ,after the war crimes         
increased rapidly4 ,in ,boston garroting
 was common1 and was only checked by    
,judge ,russell sentencing all such     
subjects to the full extent of the law4 
,before the close of the ,civil ,war the
 ,state ,prison at ,charlestown1 under  
,mr4 ,gideon ,haynes1 was1 according to 
,dr4 ,d4 ,c4 ,wines1 ,d4 ,d41 the model 
prison of the ,united ,states4 ,since   
that time it has been almost impossible 
to maintain proper discipline1 owing1 no
 doubt1 to the more desperate character 
of the inmates4  ,let us try to trace   
these effects back to their causes1 and 
prove1 if possible1 that whatsoever a   
man 7or nation7 soweth1 that shall it   

also reap4  ,but there are other ways in
 which war militates against the noblest
 motherhood4 ,camp life is a school for 
vice and prostitution4 ,in ,camp        
,chickamauga1 which is a sample of them 
all1 during the war with ,spain on      
account of ,cuba1 the amount and        
baseness of the prostitution by the     
soldiers1 with both black and white     
women1 exceeded description4 ,in a      
single day forty-one cases of specific  
disease applied to the physicians at the
 hospitals for treatment4 ,these things 
were not reported in the daily papers2  
they were too vile4 ,the place was a    
hot-bed of vice1 rather than a school of
 virtue and patriotism4 ,in all         
,european armies it is the same4 ,in    
times of peace1 soldiers from the       
highest to the lowest in rank1 insist   
that facility shall be allowed them for 
the gratification of their passional    
natures4 ,the officers1 not being       
permitted to marry unless they or their 
wives have a certain income1 keep their 

mistresses1 and not a female servant    
near a camp is safe4 ,the immoral       
influences here generated spread        
throughout society1 lower the standard  
of morals among both men and women in   
private life1 and jeopardize the        
interests of children born or unborn1   
morally and intellectually1 as well as  
physically4  ,but there is another view4
 ,great standing armies1 says the ,czar 
of ,russia1 in his note to the ,powers1 
are transforming the armed power of our 
day into a crushing burden which the    
people have more and more difficulty in 
bearing4  ,that is to say1 the tax      
imposed upon the individuals of any     
nation to support its army pauperizes or
 keeps on the verge of poverty a large  
portion of the race4 ,it is war1 far    
more than any other cause1 which has    
created the burden of taxation4 ,in some
 ,european countries almost every man   
carries a soldier or sailor on his back1
 that is1 he must labor not only to     
support himself and family1 but a       

soldier or sailor who devotes his life  
to a murderous profession4 ,is this not 
a grievous burden which cripples or     
paralyzes his life and reacts on his    
offspring8  ,now1 the poverty caused by 
this burden is a serious obstacle to the
 production and training of the young1  
and especially is this the case in the  
more populous countries--,france1 ,spain
 and ,italy are examples4 ,these lands  
were once the most powerful in ,europe2 
they are so no longer4 ,they gloried in 
war1 and spent immense sums of money    
upon their armies and burdened the      
people with taxes which should have been
 reserved for the use of fathers and    
mothers in educating and providing for  
the needs of their offspring4 ,war has  
crushed out the best life of these      
countries1 and other nations which      
follow in the same path will in the end 
come to a similar fate4 ,they may hold  
out a long time1 but not forever4 ,the  
mills of ,gods grind slowly1 but they   
grind exceeding small4  ,it is because  

war is an enemy to the highest          
motherhood that women should array      
themselves against it4 ,it is one of the
 greatest foes to the development and   
welfare of the children they love so    
well4 ,women should insist that all     
governments should settle their         
differences by peaceful rather than by  
warlike means4 ,the industrial age may  
have its difficulties1 but they are not 
insurmountable4 ,in it the fathers and  
mothers may have the time and the means 
to study and learn how to improve the   
race through a wiser parentage4 ,i      
believe that thoughtful women1 when they
 come to see the evils of war in their  
true light1 as they have seen the evils 
of prostitution and intemperance1 will  
be its greatest foes4   ,cases of       
,prenatal ,influences4  ,alfred ,russell
 ,wallace gives in ,nature a few cases  
of prenatal influences sent him by his  
correspondents4 ,the first experience is
 from a mother residing in ,australia4  
,she writes3  ,i can trace in the       

character of my first child1 a girl now 
twenty-two years of age1 a special      
aptitude for sewing1 economical         
contriving and cutting out1 which came  
to me as a new experience when living in
 the country among new surroundings1 and
 strict economy being necessary1 ,i     
began to try to sew for the coming baby 
and myself4 ,i also trace her great love
 of history to my study of ,froude      
during that period4 ,her other tastes   
for art and literature are distinctly   
hereditary4  ,in the case of my second  
child1 also a daughter1 ,i having       
interested myself prior to her birth in 
literary pursuits1 the result has been a
 much acuter form of intelligence1 which
 at six years old enabled her to read   
and enjoy the ballads which ,tennyson   
was then giving to the world1 and which 
at the age of barely twenty years       
allowed her to take her degree as ,b4   
,a4 of the ,sydney ,university4  ,before
 the third child1 a boy1 was born1 the  
current of our lives had changed a      

little4 ,visits to my own family and a  
change of residence to a distant colony1
 which involved a long journey1 as well 
as the work incidental to such changes1 
together with the care of my two older  
children1 absorbed all my time and      
thoughts1 and left little or no leisure 
for studious pursuits4 ,my occupations  
were more mechanical than at any other  
time previous4 ,this boy does not       
inherit the studious tastes of his      
sisters at all4 ,he is intelligent and  
possesses most of the qualifications    
which will probably conduce to success  
in life1 but he prefers any kind of     
out-door work or handicraft to study4   
,had ,i been as alive then as ,i am now 
to the importance of these theories1 ,i 
should have endeavored to guard against 
this possibility2 as it is1 ,i always   
feel that it is1 perhaps1 my fault that 
one of the greatest pleasures of life   
has been debarred to him4  ,but ,i must 
not weary you by so many personal       
details1 and ,i trust you will not      

suspect me of vanity in thus bringing my
 own children under your notice4        
,suffice it to say that in every        
instance ,i can1 and do1 constantly     
trace what others might term            
coincidences1 but which appear to me    
nothing but cause and effect in their   
several developments4  ,mr4 ,wallace    
then gives extracts from other          
correspondents as follows3  ,mrs4 ,b----
 says3 ,i can trace1 nay1 have traced   
7in secret amusement often71 something  
in every child of mine4 ,before the     
birth of my eldest girl ,i took to      
ornithology1 for work and amusement1 and
 did a great deal in taxidermy1 too4 ,at
 the age of three years ,i found this   
youngster taking such insects and little
 animals as she could find1 and puzzling
 me with hard questions as to what was  
inside of them4 ,later on she used to be
 seen with a small knife1 working and   
dissecting cleverly and with much care  
and skill at their insides4 ,one day she
 brought me the tiniest heart of the    

tiniest lizard you can imagine1 so small
 that ,i had to examine it through a    
glass1 though she saw it without any    
artificial aid4 ,by some means she got a
 young wallaby1 and made an apron with a
 pocket inside which she used to call   
her 'pouch4' ,this study of natural     
history is still of interest to her1    
though she lacks time and opportunities4
 ,still1 she always does a little       
dissecting if she gets a chance4        
,,another ,,case4--,i never noticed     
anything about ,p---- for some years4   
,three months before he was born a      
friend1 whom ,i will call ,smith1 was   
badly hurt1 and was brought to my house 
to be nursed4 ,i turned out the nursery 
and he lay there for three months4 ,i   
nursed him until ,i could do so no      
longer1 and then took lodgings in town  
for my confinement4 ,now after all these
 years ,i have discovered how this      
surgical nursing has left its mark4 ,the
 boy is in his element when he can be of
 use in cases of accident1 etc4 ,he said

 to me quite lately3 ',how ,i wish you  
had made a surgeon of me6' ,then all at 
once it flashed in upon me1 but1 alas6  
it was too late to remedy the mistake4  
,before the birth of the third child ,i 
passed ten of the happiest months of my 
life4 ,we had a nice house1 one side of 
which was covered with cloth of gold    
roses and bougainvillea1 a garden with  
plenty of flowers1 and a vineyard4 ,here
 we lived an idyllic life1 and did      
nothing but fish1 catch butterflies and 
paint them4 ,at least my husband painted
 them after ,i had caught them and mixed
 his colors4 ,at the end of this time   
,l---- was born4 ,this child excels in  
artistic talent of many kinds2 nothing  
comes amiss to her1 and she draws       
remarkably well4 ,she is of a bright gay
 disposition1 finding much happiness in 
life1 even though not always placed in  
the most fortunate surroundings4        
,before the birth of my next child1     
,n----1 a daughter1 ,i had a bad time4  
,my husband fell ill of fever1 and ,i   

had to nurse him without help or        
assistance of any kind4 ,we had also    
losses by floods4 ,i don't know how ,i  
got through that year1 but ,i had no    
time for reading4 ,n---- is the most    
prudent1 economical girl ,i know4 ,she  
is a splendid housekeeper and a good    
cook1 and will work till she drops2 has 
no taste for reading1 but seems to gain 
knowledge by suction4 ,such cases are so
 numerous that they should be collected 
and scientifically studied4   ,luxury   
and ,parentage4  ,in all ages of luxury1
 fine ladies try to avoid maternity4    
,they detest it in theory only1 for     
women are controlled by the instinct of 
the race4 ,in the circles of which we   
are speaking1 the instincts of the race 
for children have vanished4 ,life has   
lost its serious meaning4               
,responsibility of any kind is a mere   
nuisance1 and the idea of bringing up a 
new life1 with all its bonds and its    
charm1 is as repellant as the idea of a 
new bonnet is enticing4 ,for such women 

the world has no use4 ,beautiful1 in the
 great sense1 they are not4 ,incapable1 
in any great way1 of either loving or   
being loved1 they are at best the       
painted bubbles on the stream of life4  
,such women will always be far inferior 
as mothers1 and less capable of bringing
 into the world noble offspring than    
those women in the humble walks of life 
who live naturally1 who love the family 
ties and are fond of the young4  ,great 
mothers must have a certain sort of     
hardihood which comes from a wise       
physical culture1 not necessarily an    
artificial one1--a life in the open air1
 and the avoidance of all social        
dissipation4   ,degeneracy of the       
,breasts and ,motherhood4  ,a sign of   
degeneracy is pointed out by ,hegar1 who
 appeals to young men on behalf of      
posterity to choose for wives women with
 well-developed breasts2 he quotes      
statistics to prove inability to nurse a
 child a sign of degeneracy which       
produces degeneracy in the offspring4   

,among other facts he points out that in
 a district of his knowledge1 which     
supplies a large number of wet nurses to
 the city1 the percentage of men        
incapable of military service amounts to
 #cj per cent41 while in the neighboring
 districts1 where the mothers remain at 
home with their families1 it is only #ah
 per cent4 ,he remarks upon the         
surprising number of deformed nipples   
encountered in the hospitals4 ,fehling  
mentions hollow nipples as occurring in 
#f4g of his obstetric cases4 ,he warns  
mothers not to allow the clothing to    
constrict the growing breasts of their  
daughters1 and urges general hygiene as 
the best method to develop them4  ,in   
this connection the question may be     
asked1 ,is it possible for women with   
defective breasts to become mothers of a
 virile race of men and strong women4   
,in most cases it is not4 ,a defect in  
this part of their nature is evidence of
 a weakened constitution4 ,it may be    
said1 that the breasts do not always    

develop before marriage and parentage4  
,this is true1 and if the health is     
robust1 and the constitution and        
ancestry good1 the mother will1 in most 
cases1 be able to nurse her child4 ,if  
it is known in advance that such cannot 
be the case1 and it may generally be    
known1 then the responsibilities of     
motherhood should be undertaken with the
 greater precaution4 ,in modern times we
 have far better means of bringing up   
children by hand than formerly4 ,still1 
a mother able to nurse her own children 
should always be preferred4   ,location 
of ,birth4  ,in ,manchester1 ,england1  
in #ahib1 #cg1fgd boys out of every     
#ajj1jjj died before they reached their 
fifth year4 ,in healthy districts only  
#ag1cad out of #ajj1jjj died4 ,about the
 same condition prevails in other       
places4 ,the lesson it teaches us is1   
that we should choose a healthy region  
in which to live if we would rear the   
healthiest offspring4   ,evolution4     
,this word means progress and progress  

implies improvement1 without which there
 could be no evolution2 but improvement 
of the human race will not be further   
possible unless the marriage relation is
 regarded from a higher stand-point than
 that of sexual indulgence4  ,the       
practical superiority of man over       
animals consists in his knowledge of the
 aim of his conduct4 ,animals exercise  
the reproductive function instinctively 
at particular seasons1 but man knowingly
 always2 and thus1 unless the latter    
subordinates his passion to reason he is
 worse than a brute1 as he knows himself
 to be such4  ,the difference between   
the chaste marriage of affection and the
 unchaste marriage of passion1 is       
analogous to that between education and 
instruction1 as explained by ,elder     
,evans of the ,shaker ,community4       
,instruction imparts knowledge1 such as 
is associated in ,eastern lore with the 
sexual passion1 but education embraces  
the whole disposition1 which is rendered
 more beautiful and spiritual through a 

marriage of chastity1 and as thus       
affected is transmitted to the          
offspring1 who exhibit the disposition  
of their parents at the time of         
conception4 ,sexual excess not only     
tends to produce offspring of a weakly  
constitution1 but it interferes with the
 organic growth of the parents4 ,it is  
as wasteful as burning a candle at both 
ends at the same time4  ,parents should 
bear in mind that the mental plan on    
which their children shall begin life1  
depends on the desire by which they are 
governed when they beget their          
offspring2 and as desire depends on     
disposition1 they should aim at         
requiring harmony of character and      
conduct4  ,if we think less of ourselves
 and more of the race to which we       
belong1 we shall have a better chance of
 improving both ourselves and the race  
as represented in our offspring4  ,we   
are all members of a great organism1    
which is constituted by the whole of    
human kind1 past1 present and future1   

and it is our duty to act in such a     
manner that the whole shall be benefited
 by our conduct2 which it cannot be if  
we are careless as to our own           
disposition or as to the character of   
our offspring4  ,our ,aryan ancestors   
were conscious of their duty towards the
 race1 and probably to this fact was    
largely due the high physical           
development the white race attained4    
,only by acting in their spirit can we  
hope to maintain the race at its high   
level or prevent its deterioration and  
decay4  ,the important influence which  
the gratification of the sexual impulse 
has had over the development of the     
aesthetic side of ,nature has been often
 insisted on2 and there is no reason why
 its gratification should not be        
attended also with the development of   
the highest mental qualities1 if these  
are made use of in the formation and    
exercise of the marriage relations      
between the sexes4--,c4 ,,staniland     
,,wake4   ,too ,little ,fatherhood4     

,the modern child is threatened not with
 too much mother but with too little    
father1 and this danger is heightened by
 the sudden release of womanhood from   
the ban of conventionality and of the   
domineering power of physical force4    
,let her not too readily accept as      
complimentary to herself the church's   
adoration of ,mary4 ,woman is made of no
 purer stuff than man1 her companion1   
man her father4 ,she cannot transmit    
from her own veins or her companion's   
veins any purer life stuff1 any finer   
impulse to her daughter than she does to
 her son4 ,we need more fathers in the  
home1 more men teachers in our public   
schools2 and if our homes and schools   
are not organized so as to evoke and    
direct this masculine investment1 then  
let them be reorganized4 ,it is not true
 that mothers are peculiarly the        
divinely appointed teachers of children1
 that to them is especially entrusted   
the intellectual or spiritual destinies 
of the young4 ,that argument is based   

upon the analogies of the past2 it is a 
reversion to primitive conditions1 an   
illustration of the law of atavism1 like
 the return to six fingers and toes in  
some people1 or the restoration in      
others of the muscle that can move the  
ear4 ,the highest reaches of evolution  
point to a double responsibility and a  
double potency4 ,in the interest of the 
child1 then1 let us lift him out of a   
mother rule into a father and mother    
rule4 ,let the home be girdled with     
masculine order and justice as well as  
with feminine love and tenderness4 ,let 
there be strength as well as tenderness4
 ,let there be in it mind as well as    
heart1 vigor as well as sympathy4 ,all  
these are spiritual children which      
cannot be born except in the bi-sexual  
realm4--,,rev4 ,,jenkin ,,lloyd ,,jones4
   ,the ,flat-,head ,indians and        
,heredity4  ,amongst the round-head     
tribes woman holds a higher position1   
whereas amongst the flat-heads she is a 
mere drudge4 ,in by-gone days it was    

common to see a tired-looking woman     
walking behind her husband carrying a   
heavy load1 while he walked on before   
with nothing4  ,again1 the round-heads  
have a remarkable mythology1 while the  
others have a poor affair4  ,mr4 ,dean  
has informed me that the flat-head1     
which would be an acquired character1 is
 never transmitted to offspring--another
 argument against the ,lamarchian       
theory1 that acquired characters are    
transmitted4  ,that whatever injures the
 physical or intellectual health of     
parents tends to degrade their offspring
 has long been evident4 ,i think we have
 a good race illustration of this in the
 effects of flattening and deforming the
 skulls of children among the           
,flat-,head ,indians1 who for centuries 
followed this precedent4 ,information   
has been furnished me by special request
 by ,mr4 ,james ,dean1 of ,victoria1 ,b4
 ,c41 bearing on this point4 ,he writes3
  ,among the children the mortality     
seems to be greater with the tribes     

which flatten the heads of their        
children than in those who do not4 ,i   
have long noticed that there is a very  
marked intellectual difference between  
them4  ,the ,hidery tribes of ,northern 
,british ,columbia and ,southern        
,alaska1 who never flattened their      
heads1 have long been famous for their  
works of art1 such as elaborate carvings
 in wood and stone4   ,suggestion as an 
,aid in the ,training of ,children4     
,within a few years an old subject1 that
 of hypnotism1 formerly called          
mesmerism1 has received new attention   
under the name of suggestion1 or1 in    
medical language1 suggestive            
therapeutics4 ,it was used in a rude way
 by ,mesmer in the cure of disease4     
,later it was employed much more        
effectively by ,braid and others for the
 same purpose1 and especially for the   
prevention of pain in surgical          
operations4 ,want of space forbids our  
going into any extended historical      
detail as to its application for these  

purposes1 but a few points will be      
considered1 which bear on the subject4  
,it was found that when a person had    
contracted a bad habit1 as1 for         
instance1 smoking or drinking1 it could 
often be broken up by placing him in the
 mesmeric sleep1 and telling him he     
would no longer desire to continue the  
habit1 but would even loathe them4 ,the 
habit of sucking the thumb1 a bad       
temper1 lying1 stealing1 dullness and   
lack of ambition1 etc41 were amenable to
 this treatment4 ,to illustrate3 ,a boy 
fifteen years old1 always at the foot of
 his class1 was put into the hypnotic   
sleep1 and told that he would be able to
 study harder and learn his lessons     
better1 so as to go to the head4 ,this  
was continued daily for several weeks1  
and1 sure enough1 he accepted the       
suggestion1 and outstripped every       
scholar in his class1 and kept at the   
head so long as these means were used2  
but1 unfortunately1 when they were      
discontinued he relapsed into his first 

state4 ,the suggestions had not been    
sufficiently thorough to take deep root1
 and become a part of his nature1 as    
might have been the case with a better  
knowledge as to how to use them4 ,so    
long ago as in #ahib ,dr4 ,berillon1    
,editor of ,the ,revue de l' ,hypnotism1
 read a paper before the ,second        
,international ,congress of             
,experimental ,psychology1 in which he  
stated that he had observed the         
beneficial effects of hypnotism in      
education in some #bej cases1 including 
nervous insomnia1 night terror1         
sleepwalking1 kleptomania1 stammering1  
idleness1 filthy habits1 cowardice and  
moral delinquency4 ,he also stated that 
other observers had similar experience4 
,my friend1 ,dr4 ,b4 ,osgood ,mason1 of 
,new ,york1 working on the same lines1  
has had similar experiences4 ,i will    
quote a few illustrative cases furnished
 by him4 ,the first is of a school-girl 
fifteen years of age1 a pupil in one of 
the grammar-schools of ,new             

,york--intelligent in many ways2 a good 
reader of such books as interested      
her--history1 biography1 and the better 
class of novels2 but for the routine of 
school studies she had no aptitude1 and 
she was constantly being left behind in 
her classes4 ,she could not concentrate 
her mind upon details which did not     
specially interest her4 ,if she         
succeeded in learning a lesson she could
 not remember it1 or if she remembered  
it until she arrived at the classroom1  
when she arose to recite1 it was        
instantly gone2 her mind became a       
perfect blank2 she had not a word to    
say1 and was obliged to sit down in     
disgrace4 ,she could write a good       
composition1 but could never stand up   
and read it before the class4 ,teachers 
had been engaged to give her special    
lessons1 so as to enable her to pass her
 preliminary examination1 which would   
allow her to come up for entrance to the
 ,normal ,college4 ,after months of     
effort they reported to the mother that 

it was utterly useless to go on2 it was 
impossible for her to pass her          
preliminary examination1 and they did   
not think it right to take her money    
without any such expectation4 ,she was  
then brought to me to inquire if        
anything could be done to help her4 ,i  
proposed hypnotic suggestion4 ,it was   
then ,march #cj2 the first examination  
was in ,may4 ,i commenced treatment at  
once4 ,the patient went into a quiet1   
subjective condition1 with closed eyes1 
but did not lose consciousness4 ,i      
suggested that she would be able to     
concentrate her mind upon her studies2  
that her memory would be improved2 that 
she would lose her excessive            
self-consciousness and timidity1 and in 
their place she would have full         
confidence in herself and be able to    
stand up before the class and recite4   
,she was kept in the hypnotic condition 
one-half hour at each treatment1 and the
 same or similar suggestions were       
quietly but very positively made and    

repeated at intervals during that time4 
,she at once reported improvement in her
 ability both to study and recite4 ,she 
had six treatments1 and on ,may #be she 
reported that1 greatly to the surprise  
of her teachers1 she had passed her     
preliminary examination with a          
percentage of #gi1 which entitled her to
 come up for the college examination4   
,in ,june she passed her examination for
 entrance to the ,normal ,college with a
 percentage of #hh2 entered the ,college
 and is at present doing well1 though   
the suggestions have not been repeated  
since ,may4  ,another case from the same
 author was that of a boy so bad as to  
be perfectly unmanageable1 and his      
temper so outrageous1 that his mother   
begged me to come to the house and see  
if ,i could do anything with him4       
,having secured carte blanche for       
whatever course ,i chose to pursue1 ,i  
went4 ,he was in the back room1 his     
grandmother urging him forward1 he      
kicking and resisting4 ,without         

speaking1 ,i went directly to him1      
seized him firmly by one wrist1 and     
brought him topsy turvy through two     
intervening rooms1 gave him a thorough  
shaking1 and set him down violently in a
 chair4 ,he smoothed down his bang1     
whimpered a little1 and gruffly remarked
 that ,i had rumpled his hair4 ,i told  
him ,i had not intended to disturb his  
hair1 but that as he had never obeyed   
anybody ,i had come to the house for the
 express purpose of making him obey me1 
and ,i should most certainly do it4     
,after a few moments ,i said1 quietly1  
',now go and lie down on the bed in the 
next room4' ,he started1 walking toward 
the bed1 but when near it he set off on 
a full run past it and into the back    
room4 ,i brought him back and again     
ordered him to lie down on the bed4 ,he 
went toward it as if to obey1 but       
suddenly sprang under it1 and clung to  
the slats underneath with hands and     
feet1 and hung there like a monkey4 ,i  
dislodged him1 pulled him out1 gave him 

a spanking1 and surprised him by tossing
 him vigorously upon the bed1 with the  
command to lie there quietly until ,i   
gave him permission to move4 ,he obeyed4
 ,presently ,i ordered him to go into   
the front room and sit down again in the
 chair he had before occupied4 ,again he
 quietly obeyed1 ,i said3 ',all right2  
now you understand you will obey me4 ,i 
don't want to hurt you4 ,i want to be a 
good friend to you1 only you must obey  
me4'  ,i then in a pleasant way gave him
 a short lesson1 picturing to him very  
plainly the course of a boy such as he  
was1 and where it would be likely to    
end2 and also showing what he might be  
if he would change his course4 ,i told  
him ,i should be at the house again in a
 day or two1 and ,i should expect him to
 meet me pleasantly1 shake hands with   
me1 and do whatever ,i directed him4    
,next day there came a telephone message
 begging me to come up2 ,m4 was         
outrageous again4 ,i went4 ,he was      
backward in greeting me1 but at length  

came and shook hands4 ,i afterward      
learned that there had not been the     
slightest improvement in his behavior2  
and the cause of his mother's sending   
for me was his outrageous conduct at the
 table1 when1 in a fit of anger1 he had 
thrown a plate at his grandmother4 ,i   
talked to him pleasantly a moment1 and  
then said very quietly1 ',now go and lie
 down on the bed4' ,he did so at once4  
,i sat down beside him1 and taking his  
two thumbs firmly in my hands1 ,i said3 
',now1 ,m41 ,i want you to look steadily
 at that little stud in my shirt-front2 
keep your eyes very steadily fixed upon 
it4' ,he did so1 and ,i never secured   
better or more concentrated attention   
from any patient4  ,in five or six      
minutes his eyelids quivered and soon   
dropped4 ,i closed them1 suggesting     
sleep2 and directly he was in the sound 
hypnotic sleep4 ,i then presented the   
two pictures again--the bad and the good
 course--and suggested that they would  
always be present1 distinct in in his   

mind1 that he would dislike the wrong   
course and desire to avoid it1 and      
choose the good one4 ,i suggested       
definitely that he would be kind and    
considerate to his mother1 and obey her 
as well as me4 ,i repeated these        
suggestions very positively1 let him    
sleep ten minutes1 and repeated them    
again1 and then awoke him by counting4  
,the effect of this treatment was very  
marked2 his whole manner at home was    
changed1 and he became comparatively    
docile and manageable4  ,he came to my  
office for his next treatment1 which was
 perfectly successful4 ,i have given him
 in all six treatments1 and the         
improvement has been maintained and     
increased4 ,he is not yet by any means  
perfect1 but his general behavior is    
changed1 and ,i am suggesting such      
definite improvements in his conduct1   
and impressing such pictures upon his   
mind1 as ,i think will help to develop  
his better nature and qualities4 ,he is 
a lover of flowers1 and on two occasions

 has brought some of his own choosing to
 me4 ,he has lost none of his           
boyishness2 he is full of life2 is      
mischievous1 playing tricks even upon   
his mother2 but he is affectionate and  
generally obedient4 ,his will is not    
broken1 but he has self-control1 and he 
is far more considerate of others than  
formerly4 ,in short1 he is a fair       
example of one of the educational uses  
of hypnotism and suggestion4  ,the only 
other case ,i will quote is one of night
 terrors4  ,a little girl1 five years of
 age1 went soundly to sleep when first  
put to bed1 but after two or three hours
 she awoke screaming and trembling with 
terror1 on account of the hideous black 
man whom she saw in her dream4 ,the     
impression of the dream was vivid and   
persistent1 and her screams kept the    
household aroused and alarmed for hours 
every night1 and this state of things   
had already continued for months4 ,one  
day1 when she was perfectly bright and  
happy1 ,i placed her in her high chair  

in front of me2 put my hands gently upon
 her shoulders1 and asked her to look   
steadily at a trinket easily in her     
view1 and quieted her with passes and   
soothing touches until her drooping     
eyelids denoted the subjective          
condition4 ,i then commenced in a       
gentle1 sing-song manner to suggest that
 she would go easily to sleep as usual  
at night1 but that she would have no    
frightful dreams2 that she would see the
 dreadful black man no more1 but would  
sleep quietly on the whole night        
through4 ,it was repeated over and over 
in the same gentle manner4  ,that was a 
year ago2 she has not seen the black man
 since1 and her sleep and health have   
been perfect4 ,there was no repetition  
of the treatment4  ,from these few      
cases1 and many not quoted1 it appears  
evident that we have in hypnotism1 or   
suggestion1 an agent which1 when fully  
understood1 will be of great usefulness 
to parents in the early training of     
children4 ,that it should be used wisely

 no one will deny4  ,the question will  
naturally arise1 ,how is it that a      
suggestion to a child while passive or  
in the hypnotic sleep is more effective 
than when awake4 ,the answer is not so  
easy to give2 but it is possible that in
 this state the subliminal self1 the    
higher self1 or1 perhaps1 the spiritual 
nature is appealed to2 and as the       
active1 every-day nature1 the conscious 
self1 is now dormant1 it receives this  
appeal more seriously4 ,perhaps a       
quotation from ,prof4 ,frederic ,w4 ,h4 
,myer1 who has given the subject        
profound attention1 will help to make   
the subject clearer4 ,he says3 ,in      
waking consciousness ,i am like the     
proprietor of a factory whose machinery 
,i do not understand4 ,my foreman1 my   
subliminal self1 weaves for me so many  
yards of broadcloth per diem 7my        
ordinary vital processes71 as a matter  
of course4 ,if ,i want any pattern more 
complex1 ,i have to shout my orders in  
the din of the factory1 where only two  

or three inferior workmen hear me1 and  
they shift their looms in a small and   
scattered way4 ,such are the confined   
and capricious results of the first1 the
 more familiar stages of hypnotic       
suggestion4  ,at certain intervals1     
indeed1 the foreman stops most of the   
looms1 and uses the freed power to stoke
 the engine and oil the machinery4      
,this1 in my metaphor1 is sleep2 and it 
will be effective hypnotic trance if ,i 
can get the foreman to stop still more  
of the looms1 come out of his private   
room1 and attend to my orders--my-self  
suggestions--for their repair and       
re-arrangment4  ,to make this a little  
plainer4 ,the subliminal self1 the      
foreman1 is the one who manages the     
machinery of the nervous system1 and    
turns out this or that sort of conduct  
or behavior in the child1 or the man or 
woman1 as he is told to turn out by the 
conscious self4 ,but in the hypnotic    
trance this subliminal self can take    
orders1 or suggestions1 for other kinds 

of conduct or behavior2 alter the action
 of the brain1 so as to make another    
sort of creature2 for he is not so      
occupied then but that he can receive   
these orders4 ,as in the kaleidescope1  
the pictures presented depend entirely  
on the arrangement of the pieces of     
glass4 ,so in daily conduct1 character  
depends on the combination and activity 
of the brain cells4 ,by suggestion in   
the hypnotic state we are able1 to some 
extent at least1 to alter this          
combination so that new conduct is      
presented4  ,the question now arises1   
,how can the parent make use of this    
agent in altering the nature of a child 
from one that is not desirable to one   
that is8 ,probably the best way to      
proceed would be to take it while       
sleeping1 and make the suggestion then2 
for ordinary sleep is not different from
 hypnotic sleep1 except in degree4 ,as  
the child is in the act of going to     
sleep1 let the mother1 or whoever is to 
make the suggestion1 sit by its side1   

take it by the hand and gently soothe it
 with pleasant words or music1 in a firm
 but agreeable voice4 ,let her say      
slowly3 ,now you are going to sleep1    
sleep1 sleep4 ,you will soon be sleeping
 sweetly4 ,how nice it is to sleep and  
rest our bodies so that we can feel well
 and strong on the coming day4 ,this    
sleep is going to do you a great deal of
 good4 ,you will not have bad dreams4   
,you will not see ugly faces or wake up 
with a fright4 ,tomorrow you will wake  
up good-natured1 full of life1 and will 
be good boy 7or girl1 as the case may   
be71 and do your best to make mother    
happy and proud of you4 ,you will want  
to play and enjoy the fresh air and     
sunshine2 relish your food2 not eat too 
much1 etc41 etc41 according to the needs
 of the child4 ,if it is timid and      
fearful of thunder1 or dogs1 or horses1 
or other harmless things1 you can say to
 it1 ,now1 you will not be afraid any   
more of thunder but like to hear it4    
,this1 like all other suggestions1 must 

be repeated several times1 so as to make
 an impression4 ,if afraid of strangers1
 say1 now1 you will not fear men1 or    
persons you don't know2 repeating it    
slowly over and over again4 ,if the     
child uses bad language1 say1 ,now you  
will not want to use bad words any more1
 and will be careful how you speak4 ,if 
it has a cold1 put the hand over the    
chest and say1 ,now your cold will get  
well quickly1 and not grow worse4 ,if it
 has the unfortunate habit of wetting   
the bed at night1 even this can be      
broken up1 often by one suggestion1 and 
surely by several repeated so as to take
 deep root in the mind4 ,this latter is 
necessary to produce any effect4 ,in    
case of disease1 even serious disease1  
when a physician is necessary1          
suggestion may be used by the nurse or  
parents1 or the physician1 if he has    
learned the art1 to advantage2 but if   
the parents are anxious or weary1 they  
had better leave it for those who are   
not weary or anxious2 otherwise they may

 transfer their own condition instead of
 one of health4 ,the state of mind and  
body of the operator should be a stable1
 equable and wholesome one4  ,the age at
 which suggestion may be of use is      
hardly yet known4 ,certainly so soon as 
the understanding has become developed  
it may be employed1 though the language 
should be simplified for the childish   
understanding4 ,before this it is of    
doubtful utility2 but some experiments  
which have been made intimate that good 
health may sometimes be transmitted from
 a healthy person to a very young sick  
child by thought transference4  ,thought
 transference is the transference from  
one to another person of some feeling1  
sensation or idea4 ,the person from whom
 the thought is transferred is the      
active agent1 and the one who receives  
it is the passive one4 ,often this      
phenomenon takes place spontaneously1 as
 when one is in trouble1 or at the point
 of dying1 a knowledge of it may        
sometimes be transferred to an intimate 

friend who is in sympathy4 ,in the      
hypnotic state1 thought transference can
 sometimes be induced artificially2 and 
the point here to be considered is the  
transference to the child of healthy    
normal sensations to replace the        
abnormal ones which may have taken      
possession of consciousness and caused  
trouble4  ,the important thing always to
 have in mind in using psychic forces on
 children is to instil natural1 or      
normal1 conditions1 not unnatural or    
abnormal ones4 ,to this end to produce  
the best results1 the active agent      
should be a normally healthy person1    
having good common sense1 and living a  
normal1 natural life4 ,those with       
sickly1 sentimental or fanciful notions1
 if they try to use suggestion may      
transfer these states to the child1     
which would do harm rather than good4   
,,index4     ,acquired characters1      
inheritance of1 #ga1 #gc1 #gg et seq41  
#gi1 #ij1       #aji1 #aaa1 et seq4     
,acquired characters not transmitted1   

#bac    ,adaptation to environment      
necessary for health1 #adi    ,aesthetic
 sense displayed by animals1 #bh        
,aesthetic surroundings during          
gestation1 #ie    ,air1 regarded as     
food1 #agd    ,alcohol1 as a poison1 #ia
    ,alcohol1 effect of1 on offspring1  
#aga    ,allen1 ,joseph ,a41            
observations of1 as to effects of war on
 children1       #bjj    ,allen1 ,grant1
 #cd1 #dh1 #ea1 #ahj    ,amphimixis1    
theory of1 #gf    ,ancestral ids1 #ge   
,ancestral tendencies1 correction of1   
#abf    ,animals1 practical superiority 
of man over1 what81 #baj    ,animal     
flesh1 supposed effect of eating1 #fc   
,atavism in relation to disease1 #hc    
,baby1 a theoretical1 #ahe et seq4      
,bad habits1 broken up by suggestion    
during mesmeric sleep1 #bad    ,bad     
temper cured by hypnotic suggestion1    
#bag et seq4    ,beauty1 reference of   
sexual selection to1 #bh    ,bees1      
instincts of1 #abb    ,berillon1 ,dr41  
on beneficial effect of hypnotism over  

bad habits1       etc41 #bae            
,birthmarks1 #ei1 #fh1 #id    ,blood1   
healthy1 purifying influence of1 #ib    
,blood1 study of the1 #adj1 #aea        
,bones1 modification of certain1 through
 sitting1 #aaf    ,boys1 mortality among
 larger than with girls1 #acf           
,breasts1 best methods of developing1   
#bji    ,breasts1 defective1 women      
having1 incapable of becoming mothers of
 a       virile race1 #bji    ,breasts1 
development of1 after marriage and      
parentage1 #bji    ,breasts1 degeneracy 
of the1 and motherhood1 #bjh            
,breeding in and in1 ,noyes' first      
principle for race improvement1 #ch     
,camp life1 evils of1 #bjb    ,cases of 
prenatal influences1 #bjd et seq4       
,cells1 sexual1 #aaj1 #afb    ,chandler1
 ,jennie1 #ig    ,character1 dependence 
of1 on arrangement of nerve cells1 #bbb 
,character1 improvement by suggestion1  
method to be employed by parents        
for1 #bbc    ,character of children     
affected by war1 #bja                   

,characteristics1 origin of1 through    
sexual selection1 #acd    ,charles1     
,havelock1 #aaf    ,chickamauga ,camp1  
prostitution at1 #bjb    ,children      
acquire special aptitudes from mothers1 
#bje    ,child bearing1 best age for1   
#agj    ,children1 breeding of1 in      
,plato's ,republic1 #aa1 #ab            
,children considered as belonging to the
 ,state1 #aj et seq41 #bb    ,children1 
deaths of1 in ,new ,york city1 #aci     
,children1 healthy1 essentials for      
having1 #afh    ,children1 interests of 
unborn1 #aii    ,children1              
characteristics of1 in the ,oneida      
,community1 #ci    ,children in the     
,oneida ,community1 care of1 #ch        
,children1 mortality among1 #acf        
,children1 obstacle of war to production
 and training of1 #bjc    ,child        
training aided by suggestion1 #bad et   
seq4    ,children1 training of1 #af et  
seq41 #eb    ,civil ,war and how it     
affected the character of children1 #bja
    ,co-adaptation of parts as evidence 

of transmission of acquired             
characters1 #aaf    ,coalescence of     
sperm and germ cells1 #aff              
,concentrative power1 want of1 cured by 
hypnotic suggestion1 #baf    ,conduct1  
knowledge of its object1 not possessed  
by animals1 #baj    ,congenital         
characters1 transmission of1 #agg       
,congenital deformities1 #hj            
,consanguineous marriages among the     
,greeks1 #bc    ,consanguineous         
marriages1 regulations as to1 among     
uncultured peoples1       #ba1 #db      
,consanguineous marriages1 effect on    
offspring1 #db    ,constitution1 bodily1
 improvement of the1 #aej               
,consumption1 causes of1 #agf           
,consumption1 tendency to1 whether a bar
 to marriage1 #agf    ,contentment1     
value of1 #ie    ,continuity of         
germ-plasm1 #ajg1 #aah    ,co-operation1
 hygienic value of1 #aef et seq4        
,cope1 ,prof4 ,e4 ,d41 #ei1 #fi         
,cousins1 marriage between1 #dc         
,couvade1 custom of the1 #fc et seq4    

,crimes1 increase of1 caused by war1    
#bja     ,darwin1 ,charles1 #bh1 #cj et 
seq41 #gc1 #ge1 #he1 #ajj1 #aje1 #ajf1  
#aji1       #ada1 #agi1 #ahd    ,death1 
causes of1 #aej    ,deformities1        
congenital1 #hj    ,degeneracy of the   
breasts and motherhood1 #bjh            
,degeneracy in offspring due to maternal
 degeneracy evidenced by       inability
 to nurse a child1 #bjh                 
,degeneration1 evidence of1 #adj        
,development of breasts after marriage  
and parentage1 #bji    ,diseases1       
influence of hygiene over1 #aei         
,diseases1 inheritance of1 #hj          
,diseases which affect offspring1 #age  
,disposition spiritualized through      
marriage of chastity1 #baj              
,disproportion between accidental causes
 and effects1 #fh1 #ij    ,diversity    
between offspring and parents1 causes   
of1 #eh    ,domestication of animals1 #i
    ,doutrebente1 ,prof41 #ib    ,drink1
 influence of1 over offspring1 #af      
,duncan1 ,j4 ,c4 ,mathews1 #agj         

,education1 beneficial effects of       
hypnotism in1 #bae    ,education and    
heredity1 #aaa et seq4    ,education and
 non-transmission of acquired           
characters1 #abd    ,education of       
,spartan children1 #ae    ,education1   
,plutarch on1 #ag    ,education1 study  
of laws of evolution1 as part of1 #abe  
,educational uses of hypnotism and      
suggestion1 #bbj    ,egg4 ,see ,ovum4   
,eimer1 ,dr4 ,g4 ,h41 #ga1 #gi et seq41 
#ij    ,embryo1 how parental properties 
communicated to1 #fi    ,embryology1    
importance of1 #ajc    ,energy1 bodily1 
use and abuse of1 #aec    ,environment1 
adaptation to1 necessary for health1    
#adi    ,epigenesis1 theory of1 #ajd    
,esquirol on the effects of the ,french 
,revolution over children1 #bjj         
,ethics of the body1 hygiene as the1    
#afj    ,evolution1 a superior race     
produced by1 #acj et seq4    ,evolution1
 meaning of the term1 #baj    ,evolution
 of the horse1 #ajb    ,evolution1 study
 of laws of1 as part of education1 #abe 

,evolutionary theories1 conflict of1    
with humane sentiments1 #ade et         
seq4    ,example1 influence of1 over    
children1 #ah    ,exercise1 transmission
 of effects of1 #aaa    ,experiment in  
race improvement by ,noyes1 #cg et seq4 
,explanation of the action of hypnotic  
suggestion1 #bba     ,family life1      
abolition of1 in ,plato's ,republic1 #aj
    ,father rule should be combined with
 mother rule1 #bac    ,fatherhood1 too  
little importance assigned to1 #bab     
,feeble constitutions prevent numerous  
offspring1 #adg    ,fertilization       
essential to true germ plasm1 #afe      
,fertilization1 nature of1 #aff         
,fison1 ,lorimer1 #db    ,fitness for   
survival1 characteristics of1 #adj      
,flat head ,indians and heredity1 #bac  
,flat head and round head tribes1       
comparison between1 #bac    ,flat head  
not transmitted to offspring1 #bac      
,flattening the skull1 injurious effect 
of on health1 #bad    ,flint1 ,dr4      
,austin1 #hh    ,food1 how it affects   

germ plasm1 #agc    ,food 7certain7     
injurious influence of1 #id    ,foot1   
compression of1 by ,chinese ladies1 #bj 
,fosterage1 #if    ,french ,revolution1 
evil effects of over children1 #bjj     
,galton1 ,francis1 #df1 #ej1 #gc1 #ajf1 
#ace1 #agj    ,gemmules1 essential to   
pangenesis1 #aje1 #ajf    ,generation1  
influences over1 at time of conception1 
#eg1 #eh    ,generation1 influences     
over1 subsequent to conception1 #eh     
,generative powers1 debilitation of the1
 #hd    ,germ plasm and heredity1 #ajg1 
#afb    ,germ plasm1 continuity of the1 
#gc1 #gd et seq41 #ajg1 #aah    ,germ   
plasm1 how affected by food1 #agc       
,germ plasm1 modification of the1 #gf1  
#hj    ,germ variations1 causes of1 #ha 
,gestation 7period of7 importance of    
pleasant surroundings during1 #ic       
,gestation1 maternal influence during1  
#if    ,gestation1 strong emotion       
during1 effect of1 #fc1 #id             
,gestation1 uterine disturbances during1
 #ic    ,girls1 physical training of1   

among ,spartans1 #ad    ,girls1         
mortality among1 smaller than with boys1
 #acf    ,great mothers1 how            
constituted1 #bjh    ,group marriage of 
,australian natives1 #ba     ,haeckel1  
,ernst1 #aji    ,harvey1 #ajc           
,haycraft1 ,john ,berry1 #adc    ,head  
flattening1 #bj    ,health1 action of   
nature in relation to1 #acj    ,health1 
transmission of1 by thought             
transference1 to young sick child1      
#bbd    ,healthy localities enable the  
healthiest offspring to be reared1 #baj 
,health1 adaptation to environment      
necessary for1 #adi    ,health1 ideal   
of1 #adh    ,health1 importance of1 in  
relation to marriage1 #ace1 #afh1 #aga  
,hearn1 ,professor1 #fg    ,hedonism1   
,new1 #dh    ,hereditary tastes of      
children1 #bjd et seq4    ,heredities1  
antagonistic1 of two parents1 #eh       
,heredity among ,flat-head ,indians1    
#bac    ,heredity1 definition of1 #ajj  
,heredity and education1 #aaa et seq4   
,heredity1 evils arising from1 may be   

cured1 #ce    ,heredity1 exceptions to  
law of1 #eh    ,heredity and germ plasm1
 #ajg    ,heredity1 importance of       
knowledge of1 by teachers1 #abe         
,heredity1 modification of law of1 #ii  
,heredity1 preponderating influence of1 
#fi1 #hi    ,heredity1 rational view of1
 #aji    ,heredity1 spectre of1 #abg et 
seq4    ,heredity1 theories of1 #gc et  
seq4    ,heredity1 transformation of1   
#hc    ,hering1 ,richard1 #gj    ,hidery
 tribes of ,british ,columbia1 #bad     
,high-pressure1 effects of living at1   
#aeb    ,hypnotic sleep1 differs from   
ordinary sleep only in degree1 #bbc     
,hypnotic suggestion1 value of1 as aid  
to education1 #baf    ,hypnotism as     
suggestive therapeutics1 #bad    ,horse1
 evolution of the1 #ajb    ,human       
selection1 plans for1 #ace et seq4      
,human kind1 regarded as a whole1 should
 be benefited by our conduct1       #baa
    ,human race1 further improvement of 
impossible1 if marriage relation be     
regarded only from standpoint of sexual 

indulgence1 #baj    ,humane sentiments1 
conflict of1 with theories of evolution1
 #ade et       seq4    ,husband and     
wife1 tendency to resemble each other1  
#hi    ,huth1 ,a4 ,h41 #db    ,hygiene1 
modern1 as opposed to natural selection1
 #adb et seq4    ,hygiene1 as the ethics
 of the body1 #afj    ,hygiene1 promises
 of1 #aeh et seq4    ,hygienic laws1    
punishment for infraction of1 #afa      
,hygienic surroundings1 importance of1  
#aci    ,hygienic training1 value of1   
#aea     ,ideal of ,health1 #adh        
,idiots1 education of1 #be              
,illustrative cases of prenatal         
influence1 #fj et seq4    ,imagination1 
effect of1 on unborn offspring1 #ee et  
seq4    ,improvement of race4 ,see race 
improvement4    ,incas of ,peru1        
consanguineous marriages among the1 #bc 
,income1 bodily1 importance of living   
within1 #aeb    ,individual1 the1 as the
 beginning and end of the race1 #ej     
,individuality1 development of the1 #abf
    ,infanticide among ,spartans1 #ae   

,infanticide1 former general prevalence 
of1 #ai    ,infanticide in ,plato's     
,republic1 #aa    ,infanticide not      
morally permissible1 #bd    ,inheritance
 of acquired characters1 question as to 
the1 #ga1 #gc1 #gg1       #gi1 #ij1     
#aji1 #aaa et seq4    ,inheritance1     
organic1 wonders of1 #aja    ,injuries  
during life1 transmission of1 #gi et    
seq4    ,injury to health through       
flattening the skull1 #bad    ,instinct1
 explanations of origin of1 #aba        
,instincts of the race for children1    
loss of1 #bjh    ,instruction and       
education1 difference between1 #baj     
,intelligence affected by head          
flattening1 #bad     ,jacob1 rods of1   
#ef    ,jeune1 ,lady ,mary1 #dg         
,jowett1 ,professor ,b41 #be et seq41   
#cd     ,krafft1 ,d4 ,von ,ebing1 #hb1  
#hd1 #ia     ,lamarck1 #aaa             
,lamarchian theory of transmission1 #bac
    ,language1 not transmitted to       
offspring1 #aai    ,leeuwenhock1 #ajc   
,limitation of offspring1 #agi et seq4  

,locust1 egg-laying instinct of1 #abc   
,luxury and parentage1 #bjh             
,lycurgus1 marriage regulations of1 #ac 
et seq41 #bb1 #bg    ,lyman1 ,dr4 ,c4   
,w41 on treatment of a baby1 #ahe et    
seq4     ,man1 variations undergone by1 
#ach    ,man1 practical superiority of1 
over animals1 what1 #baj                
,manufacturing life1 unhealthiness of1  
#aeb    ,manufacturing mills1           
deterioration caused by1 #aeh           
,marriage1 consanguineous1 ideas as to1 
#ba1 #db    ,marriage customs among     
,spartans1 #ah1 #ai    ,marriage1 early1
 disadvantages of1 #acg    ,marriage1   
importance of health in relation to1    
#ace    ,marriage1 regulations as to1 in
 ,plato's ,republic1 #bb1 #be           
,marriage of weak and worthless1 #acg   
,marriage1 a sacred state1 #eb          
,marriage of chastity1 disposition      
spiritualized by1 #baj    ,marriages of 
affection and passion1 difference       
between1 analogous to       that between
 education and instruction1 #baj        

,mason1 ,dr4 ,r4 ,osgood1 on beneficial 
effect of hypnotism in       education1 
#bae    ,maternity1 avoidance of1 #bjh  
,mc,gee1 ,dr4 ,anita ,newcomb1 #cg      
,memory1 endowment of reproductive cells
 with1 #gj    ,memory1 improvement of1  
by hypnotic suggestion1 #baj    ,mental 
dullness1 curable by suggestion during  
hypnotic sleep1 #bae    ,mental emotion 
of mother1 injury to unborn child       
through1 #bjj    ,mesmeric sleep1 effect
 of suggestion during1 #bad             
,mesmerism1 now known as hypnotism1 #bad
    ,method to be employed by parents   
for using suggestion in child           
training1 #bbc    ,microbes1 selective  
action of1 #adc    ,mind of operator1   
state of1 necessary to successful       
suggestion1 #bbd-e    ,modification of  
certain bones through sitting1 #aaf     
,modification of the organism during    
descent from first ancestors1 #ga       
,modification of sense of touch1 #aad   
,modification of toes1 #aab             
,modification of the whale1 #aae        

,molecular structure of sexual cells1   
#aaj    ,monogamy1 return to1 by the    
,oneida ,community1 #dj1 #da1 #ec       
,moral nature1 growth of the1 #adf      
,mosaic regulations as to unclean       
animals1 #fc    ,motherhood1 highest1   
war an enemy to1 #bjd    ,motherhood and
 degeneracy of the breasts1 #bjh        
,mothers1 not peculiarily the divinely  
appointed teachers of children1         
#bab    ,musical talent1 not transmitted
 to offspring1 #abj    ,mutilations1 not
 transmissible1 #aai    ,meyer1 ,prof4  
,frederic ,w4 ,h41 on hypnotic          
suggestion1 #bba     ,natural selection1
 #i1 #aae1 #ach1 #adb    ,natural       
selection1 always operative1 #adg       
,nature1 action of1 in relation to      
health1 #acj    ,nerve cells1           
constitution of1 alterable by hypnotic  
suggestion1 #bbb    ,nervous system1    
debilitation of the1 #hd    ,night      
terrors cured by hypnotic suggestion1   
#bbj    ,nipples1 deformed1 common      
occurrence of1 #bji    ,nisbet1 ,j4 ,f41

 #ij1 #ib    ,non-nursing of children a 
sign of degeneracy1 #bjh    ,normal     
conditions only should be transferred by
 hypnotic suggestion1       #bbe        
,nose molding1 #bj    ,notes1 #aii et   
seq4    ,noyes1 ,john ,humphrey1 #cg et 
seq4    ,nucleus of cell1 essential to  
reproduction1 #afg    ,nutrition1 action
 of1 on germ cells1 #aea    ,nutrition  
7arrested7 organic effect of1 #gg       
,obedience the basis of education among 
the ,spartans1 #ae    ,offspring1 effect
 of alcohol on1 #aga    ,offspring1     
effect of consanguineous marriage on1   
#db    ,offspring1 influence of locality
 on health of1 #baj    ,offspring1      
injuriously affected by sexual excess of
 parents1 #baa    ,offspring1 inception 
of1 the starting point of stirpiculture1
 #eb    ,offspring1 limitation of1 #agi 
et seq4    ,oneida ,community1 #cg et   
seq4    ,ovum1 #afc et seq4    ,ovum1   
the beginning of animal life1 #aja1 #afc
    ,ovum1 developmental tendency of    
the1 #aaj    ,ovum1 effect of gestation 

on the1 #ajb    ,ovum of different      
animals1 apparent similarity of the1    
#afc     ,paget1 ,sir ,james1 #adh      
,pain1 prevention of1 in surgical       
operations1 #bad    ,pangenesis1        
experiments in1 #ajf    ,pangenesis1    
theory of1 #ge1 #aje1 #aji    ,panmixia1
 theory of1 #gh    ,paper mill 7,new    
,england71 #aed    ,parentage and       
luxury1 #bjh    ,parentage and war1 #aii
    ,parentage1 responsibility in1 #di1 
#aha    ,parentage1 ,plato's            
restrictions on1 #aa    ,parentage1     
sacredness of1 #ic    ,parents1 how to  
make use of suggestion in the training  
of children1       #bbb    ,parents1    
organic growth of1 injuriously affected 
by sexual excess1 #baa    ,parental     
life1 influence of1 over offspring1 #ie 
,perfectionists of the ,oneida          
,community1 #cg et seq4    ,phillips1   
,wendell1 #abh    ,physical culture1    
#afj    ,physical training of girls     
among ,spartans1 #ad    ,physical       
weakness may be associated with mental  

greatness1 #cd    ,plato1 ,republic of1 
#aj et seq41 #be    ,plutarch1 #ac1 #af 
et seq4    ,poisons1 actions of1 on the 
sexual cells1 #ia    ,poverty1 obstacle 
of1 to production and training of the   
young1 #bjc    ,preference1 as exhibited
 among animals1 #aca    ,preference1 as 
exhibited among men1 #acc               
,preference1 first principle of sexual  
selection1 #aca    ,prenatal culture1   
#ee et seq4    ,prenatal culture1       
illustrative cases of1 #fj et seq4      
,prenatal influence1 #aab    ,prenatal  
influence in telegony1 #he    ,prenatal 
influences1 cases of1 #bjd et seq4      
,principles on which sexual selection is
 based1 #ch1 #aca    ,progress in       
organic life1 #i    ,promiscuity        
regulated in ,oneida ,community1 #cg    
,promiscuity regulated in ,plato's      
,republic1 #aa    ,prostitution1 camp   
life a school for1 #bjb    ,psychical   
diseases1 heredity of1 #hb et seq4      
,psychological laws1 uncertain effect   
of1 #fh    ,psychological research1     

laboratories for1 #afj     ,quatrefages1
 ,m4 de1 #ei     ,race 7human7          
deterioration of the1 through hygienic  
action1 #adc et       seq4    ,race1    
improvement of the1 aim of1 #cf         
,race1 improvement of the1 based on     
spiritual sympathy1 #eh    ,race        
improvement1 experiment in1 of the      
,oneida ,community1 #cg et seq4    ,race
 improvement1 failure of compulsory     
attempts at1 #bg    ,race improvement1  
,grecian methods for1 #aj et seq4       
,race improvement1 ,grecian methods not 
suited for modern times1 #bd    ,race   
improvement1 natural factors in1 #a     
,race improvement1 ,state aid to1 #cg1  
#ec    ,race should be thought of before
 ourselves1 #baa    ,reproductive       
function1 difference in exercise of1 by 
animals and man1       #baj             
,responsibility in parentage1 #di1 #aha 
,ribot1 ,th41 #eg1 #fh1 #hc    ,romanes1
 ,g4 ,j41 #bh1 #gc1 #he1 #hg    ,ruin of
 countries by the burdens of war1 #bjc  
,sacredness of parentage1 #ic           

,saint-,hilaire1 ,geoffroy1 #fh         
,sampson1 mother of1 #agb    ,science of
 true living1 hygiene as the1 #afj      
,scottish ,co-operative ,wholesale      
,society's manufacturing mill1 #aef et  
seq4    ,selection1 artificial1 by man1 
#i    ,selection1 individual1 by ,noyes1
 #ch    ,selection1 natural1 see        
,natural selection4    ,selection1      
sexual1 see ,sexual selection4          
,selective action of female animals1 #bh
 et seq4    ,selective action of woman  
in marriage1 #dc et seq4                
,self-control1 importance of1 #if       
,self-consciousness1 excessive1 cured by
 hypnotic suggestion1 #baf              
,self-development1 #dh    ,sense of     
touch1 modification of1 through use1    
#aad    ,sex-instinct1 #ea    ,sexual   
cells1 #afb    ,sexual cells1 acquired  
powers of1 #aaj    ,sexual excess       
injuriously affects both parents and    
offspring1 #baa    ,sexual impulse1     
gratification of the1 consistent with   
the development      of the highest     

mental qualities1 #bab    ,sexual       
selection1 #bg et seq41 #aca et seq4    
,sexual selection1 action of1 among     
primeval men1 #agi    ,sexual selection 
applicable primarily to male            
characteristics1 #cj    ,sexual         
selection by women1 effect of1 #dd et   
seq4    ,sexual selection1 influence of1
 #ca1 #cc    ,sick child1 transmission  
of health to1 by thought transference1  
#bbd    ,sire1 previous1 influence of1  
on subsequent progeny1 #hf et seq4      
,sleep1 ordinary1 differs from hypnotic 
sleep only in degree1 #bbc    ,smith1   
,sidney1 #aba    ,sobriety1 importance  
of1 in relation to offspring1 #ia ,see  
,alcohol4    ,soldiers demand           
gratification of their passional        
natures1 #bjb    ,spartans1 marriage    
relations among1 #ac et seq4    ,special
 aptitudes of child determined by       
prenatal influences1 #bjd    ,spectre of
 heredity1 #abg et seq4    ,spencer1    
,herbert1 #d1 #gg1 #gh1 #he1 #hg1 #aab1 
#aae1 #adi1 #afi1 #aha    ,spermatozoon1

 #afb    ,spiritual nature1 appeal to1  
in hypnotic suggestion1 #bba            
,spontaneous thought transference1 #bbd 
,standing armies1 crushing burden of1   
#bjc    ,state1 aid of the1 to race     
improvement1 #ec    ,state1 children    
regarded as belonging to the1 #aj et    
seq41 #bb    ,stirpiculture4 ,see ,race1
 improvement of the4    ,stirpiculture1 
meaning of1 #aj    ,stirpiculture1 good 
air and water as factors in1 #age       
,stirpiculture1 ,noyes' experiment in1  
#cg et seq4    ,stirpiculture1 starting 
point of1 #eb    ,strength as necessary 
as tenderness to bringing up of         
children1 #bac    ,struggle1 sexual     
selection through1 #acb    ,studious    
habits transmitted to children1 #bje    
,subliminal self1 orders conveyed to1 by
 hypnotic suggestion1 #bbb              
,suggestion as an aid to child training1
 #bad1 #bba    ,suggestion by parents to
 children for educational purposes1 #bbc
    ,suggestion during mesmeric sleep1  
bad habits cured by1 #bad    ,suggestion

 during mesmeric sleep1 beneficial      
effect of1 over mental       dullness1  
#bae    ,suggestion1 hypnotic1 influence
 of1 in developing self-control1 #bai   
,suggestion1 hypnotic1 method of1       
employed by ,dr4 ,r4 ,osgood ,mason for 
educational purposes1 #bae et seq4      
,suggestive therapeutics1 #bad          
,superiority of offspring1 where        
limited1 #ahd    ,surgical operations1  
prevention of pain in1 by mesmerism1    
#bad    ,survival of the fittest1 #i    
,survival1 what constitutes fitness for1
 #ada    ,sympathy1 spiritual1 as the   
basis of race improvement1 #ec          
,taxation1 burden of1 created by war1   
#bjc    ,telegony1 #he et seq4          
,temper1 bad1 cured by hypnotic         
suggestion1 #bag    ,tenderness to be   
combined with strength in bringing up   
children1 #bac    ,theoretical baby1    
#ahe et seq4    ,thought transference   
induced artificially in hypnotic state1 
#bbd    ,thought transference1 nature   
of1 #bbd    ,thought transference1      

transmission of health by1 to a young   
sick       child1 #bbd    ,timidity     
cured by hypnotic suggestion1 #baf      
,toes1 modification of the1 in man1 #aab
    ,touch1 modification of the sense   
of1 #aad    ,training of children aided 
by hypnotic suggestion1 #bba            
,training of children1 ,plutarch on the1
 #af et seq4    ,transformation of      
heredity1 #hc    ,transitory states of  
parents1 effect of on offspring1 #ei    
,transmission by mother to child of     
aptitude for hard work1 #bjg            
,transmission by mother to child of     
artistic and literary tastes1 #bjd      
et seq41 #bjg    ,transmission by mother
 to child of taste for study of natural 
history1       #bjf    ,transmission by 
mother to child of taste for surgical   
nursing1 #bjg    ,transmission of       
acquired characters4 ,see ,acquired     
characters4    ,transmission of effects 
of exercise1 #aaa    ,tylor1 ,e4 ,b41   
#fd1 #fg    ,twins1 resemblance of1 #ij 
,unborn children injured by war1 #aii   

,unborn children1 interests of1 #aii    
,unfit1 elimination of the1 #aci        
,unicellular organisms1 #aji    ,uterine
 existence1 disturbances of1 #eh1 #fh   
,vaccination as a preserver of weak     
constitutions1 #adc    ,vitality1       
surplus1 production of offspring depends
 on1 #afi     ,wake1 ,c4 ,staniland1    
#ba1 #db1 #ff    ,wallace1 ,a4 ,r41 #dd1
 #acf    ,wallace1 ,alfred ,russell1 on 
prenatal influences1 #bjd    ,war and   
parentage1 #aii    ,war1 effects of1 on 
civilization1 #aii    ,war1 effects of1 
on unborn children1 #aii et seq4        
,war1 enemy to the highest motherhood1  
#bjd    ,weber1 ,professor1 #aad        
,weismann1 ,professor1 #gb1 #gd et seq41
 #gh1 #ajg1 #aah    ,wet nurses1 use of1
 accompanied by physical weakness1 #bjh 
,whale1 modification of structure of    
the1 #aae    ,white race1 superiority of
 the1 due to consciousness of duty      
towards       the race1 #baa    ,wolf1  
,caspar ,frederick1 #ajd    ,woman1     
condition of1 among ,flat head ,indians1

 #bac    ,woman1 first duty of1 #dg     
,woman not superior to man1 #bab        
,woman1 selective action of1 in         
marriage1 #cb1 #dc et seq4    ,women    
incapable of love inferior as mothers1  
#bjh    ,women more numerous than men1  
#acf    ,women1 preference for certain  
characteristics in men1 #acc            
,xenophon1 #ae     ,zeigler1 ,professor1
 #ha1 #ia     ,,transcriber',s ,,notes3 
,the word diarrhoea uses an oe ligature 
in the original4  ,the following        
corrections have been made to the text3 
,page #ai3 visited her with great       
caution and      apprehensionquotation  
mark missing in original       ,page    
#be3 that the difference between men and
 the animals is      forgotten in       
them4quotation mark missing in original 
,page #fb3 ,the ,philosophicaloriginal  
has ,philosphical ,journal      for     
,october #e1 #ahie       ,page #ff3 come
 to console him original has extraneous 
quotation      markfor the pain         
,page #hb3 distinguished psychiatrist1  

,d4 ,von      ,krafft-,ebingsoriginal   
has ,kraft-,ebings       ,page #hd3     
inconsistency in desires1 sudden and    
variable      will4quotation mark       
missing in original       ,page #ajd3   
developoriginal has devolop other organs
 than those      like the ones in which 
it was formed       ,page #aji3 theories
 of heredity--,haeckel'soriginal has    
,heckel's1 for instance       ,page     
#aab3 without the transmissionoriginal  
has transmision of      the effects of  
the use       ,page #ada3 to give       
continuousoriginal has continous food1  
warmth and protection       ,page #afd3 
the ape1 the dog1 the cat or other      
animal4quotation      mark missing in   
original       ,page #afd3 clear1 round 
germinal vesicleoriginal has vescicle   
,page #afg3 they completelyoriginal has 
competely efface      themselves        
,page #agf3 often of an                 
unusuallyoriginal has unsually cheerful 
and hopeful disposition       ,page     
#ahj3 quoted ,grant ,allen as favoring  

abstinenceoriginal      has abstainence 
,page #ahb3 must bring decay and        
ultimate extinction4original      has   
comma       ,page #aii3 children1 both  
born and unborn4period missing in       
original       ,page #bjj3 capable of   
resisting the intense                   
excitementsoriginal      has excitments 
,page #bjj3 dimmed by the relation of   
such occurrencesoriginal      has       
occurrencies       ,page #bjc3 ,is this 
not a grievousoriginal has grevious     
burden       ,page #bjf3 original has   
extraneous quotation mark,mrs4 ,b----   
says3 ,i can trace       ,page #bjg3    
cloth of gold roses and                 
bougainvilleaoriginal has               
bougianvillea       ,page #baj3 only    
#ag1cad out of #ajj1jjj died4original   
has comma       ,page #bac3 mind as well
 as heart1comma missing in original     
vigor as well as sympathy       ,page   
#bag3 grufflyoriginal has grufly        
remarked that ,i had      rumpled his   
hair       ,page #bag3 suggestions have 

not been repeated since                 
,may4original has extraneous quotation  
mark       ,page #bbf3 number #bjj is   
below the entry for ,air in the         
original1 but it belongs to the entry   
for ,allen1 ,joseph ,a41      and has   
been moved accordingly       ,page #bbh3
 page numbers for the entry on ,darwin  
have been put in      numerical order   
,page #bbh3 ,eimer1original has period  
,dr4 ,g4 ,h41 #ga1 #gi et      seq41 #ij
       ,page #bcj3 ,haeckeloriginal has 
,haeckel1 ,ernst1 #aji       ,page #bcb3
 ,inheritance of acquired characters1   
question as to      the1 #ga1 #gc1      
#gg1;comma missing in original #gi      
,page #bcb3 ,krafftoriginal has ,kraft1 
,d4 ,von ,ebing1 #hb1 #hd1 #ia          
,page #bcb3 ,leeuwenhockoriginal has    
,leeukwenhock1 #ajc       ,page #bcc3   
,jowettoriginal has ,jewett1 ,professor 
,b41 #be et      seq41comma missing in  
original #cd       ,page #bcc3 ,mason1  
,dr4 ,r4 ,osgood1 on beneficial effect  
of      hypnotismoriginal has hynotism  

,page #bce3 ,quatrefagesoriginal has    
,quartrefages1 ,m4 de1 #ei       ,page  
#bce3 ,saint-,hilaire1 ,geoffroyoriginal
 has ,geoffory1 #fh       ,page #bch3   
,transmissionoriginal has ,tranmission  
of acquired      characters