Arkansas true Democrat., 1859-06-08
For the Trua noroo4
IUr U1t True Democrat. Hereditary Transmission of Qualities.

Whlch the lather and grand father fell vic tins in early life to their propensity to drunkenness. The son, although he fore saw the consequences of this pernicious hablt' continued to abandon himself to ii Tn spite of every resolution to the contrary: ana the grandson who was only five years qi age when Dr. Gall wrote. displaved. gwen then, most decided inclination for 9pifituous liquors. Sur les Functions du oefvean, l,410. As these facts can hardly be explained by referring to the influence of example, 1t follows that peculiar state of Y'gahlzatlon, giving rise to the mental pe- fuilarlty, was in this case transmitted from 9he generation to another In point of lact, Dr. Caldwell has shown much reason tor considering the irresistible desire for in toxlcating liquors as symptom of cerebral disease, having its special seat probably in the organ of Alimentiveness As long as thlS disease exists, the desire is strongly felt, and every appeal to the understanding ot the repentant and unhappy patient is in :vam. " Am l asked" says Dr. Caldwell, i'' how drunkenness then is to be cured, and the tormenting propensity which leads to 1t eradicated?' l answer, by the same. means which are found successful in the .treatment of other forms of insanity, where the cerebral excitement is preternaturally high. There are seclusion and tranouilitv. bleeding, puking, purging, cold water and low diet. In this prescription I am se- rious, and if it be opportuncly adopted and resolutely persevered in, freely peril my reputation on its success. If interrogated on the subject the resident physician of the Kentucky .Lunatic Asylum will state that he finds in the institution he superintends no difficulty in curing mania potu by the treatment here directed. Dr. Caldwell ad- mits however that it Is only recent and acute cases which can be speedily cured
 those of long standing are much less trac- table, and occasionally the disease may be found incurable. He thinks, very justly, that nothing would tend more to diminish the prevalence of habitual drunkenness, than to have it deemed and proclaimed form of madness and dealt with according ly. Hospitals erected for the reception of drunkards, and authority given to confne them there would be among the most i'm portant institutions that could be estab- llshed, and would effect an immense saving of life, health, and property, and reputa- tion.
 In regard to the hereditary transmission ot this miserable tendency, Dr. Caldwell
 observes every constitutional quality, whe- ther good or bad, may descend by inheri- tance, from parent to child And long continued habit of drunkenness becomes as essentially constitutional as predisposition to gout or pulmonary consumption. This increases ill manifold degree, the respon- slblllty of parents, in relation to temper ance by habits of intcmperance, they not only degrade and ruin themselves, but transmit the elements of like degradation and ruin to their posteritv This is no vi sionary conjecture, the fruit of favorite and long cherished theory. It is settled belief resulting from observation. an infe renee derived from innumerable facts. In hundreds and thousands of instances, pa rents having had children born to them while their habits were temperate. have become after wards incorporate, and had other children subsequently, born. In such | cases, It IS matter of notorietv, that the | younger children have become addicted to | the practice of intoxication much more frequently than the older-in proportion of hve to one. Let me not be told that this IS owing to the younger children being neg lected, and having corrupt and seducing ex- amples constant y before them. The chil- dren of earlier births have escaped while those of the subsequent ones have suffered
 The reason is plain, the latter children had a deeper animal taint than the former" Pennsylvania Journal, page 341. The fol- lowing case Is recorded in the Phrenologi- cal Journal c. now proceed to give some facts strongly Illustrative of the doctrine, that the faculties which predominate in power and activity in the parents, when the organic existence of the child commences, determine its future mental dispositions. This IS doctrine to which, from its great practical importance, l would beg leave to call your serious attention. Itwas remark ed by the celebrated Esquirol, that the children whose existence dated from the French revolution, turned out to be weak, nervous, and irritable in mind, extremely susceptible of impressions, and to be thrown by the least extraordinary excitement into absolute insanity. Sometimes too. family calamltles produce serious effects upon the offspring. An intelligent and respectable mother, upon hearing this principle ex- pounded, remarked, that there was very wide difference in the intellectual and mo- ral development between one of her cbil- dren and the others; and accounted for this difference by the fact, that during preg- nancy, she received intelligence that the crew of the ship, on board of which was her son, had mutinied- when the shin arrived in the West Indies, some of the mutinee~s, and also her son. were put in lrons-and that they were all to be sent home for trial. This intelligence acted so strongly upon her, that she suffered tenn porary alienation of judgment. The re- port turned out to be erroneous, but this did not avert the consequences of the agi- tated state of the mothers feelings upon the daughter she afterwards gave birth to- The daughter Is now a woman. but she is and will continue to be being of impulses,