New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-03-12
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
HEREDITARY GENIUS.


NJ. colton develops n theory which DR.. Elan
tonohes upon in his Physicians Problems" Ii
NAV be objected at the start that Mr.. Cations
title is ill-chosen. Talent and mental apu-
tndes are undoubtedly transmitted from iather 10
son. but all history furnishes no example OF heredi
tary genius Dr. Elan goes far as to say that the
highest and lowest forms of intellectual power
genius and idocy, are alike unfruitful; the periec1
idiot is incapable Of prOcreaton at ALL ana ihteioo'
from the time il eliminates in true genius begins ~
wane; il may be followed by conspicuous aoiiity ~
the offspring, but genius itself is phenomena E'
which is never transmitted TO descendants Inc
frequency however we might almost say Vle ioe"'
larity with which mental superiority not amount
inc in degree to genius, is hereditary III lamlheS'
il shown nv Mr.. Cation from an elaborate
ANALYSIS of biographical data gathered chiehS Huin
English history during the last 100 OF 200 years. lie
purposes to prove, from these data that q lh'Ih
natural abilities are derived by inheritance unoei
exactly the limitations as physlcai pecnaries
and resembances and that it is Just as easy 10 Dreed
abehly-gifted race of men to produce d breed OF
fast horses or good dogs The general fact OF hered-
itary talent is not likely TO be seriously questioned
Int we dare say Mr.. Cations readers will be sur
prised 10 see how far he has traced the opera
tion of this law He has dealt with about SUI
families, and found in them nearly 1000 eminent
persons and no fewer than 4l5 who deserve 10 DC
called illustrious The consideration OF inherited
apttudes leads naturally to consideration OF the
comparative worth of different races and after con-
suctng elaborate tables of averages he decldes' oy
mathematical processes that the negro race Is ABOUT
two degrees below the Anglo-SaxOn, and the Aus
traan at least degree below the negro, while the
AngloSaxon race is about two degrees below the
ancient Greeks He also finds that the average
standard of the LOwland Scotch and the
North-eountry English is fraction OF
grade higher than that of the ordinary
English. He believes it to be most es-
sential to the well-being Of future generations
that the average standard of ability of the present
time should be raised :" but in this part of his work
Mr. Cation seems to get somewhat befogged and as
no means of applying the principles of stockbreed-
ers TO the human race have yet been discovered we
do not think it worth. while to follow him into the
mist of theory aud speculation. He has an inter
esting explanation of the Influence of English
Peerages on Race" showing among other things one
notable cause which tends to the extinction of great
families that is the frequency with which the in
heritor of title marTies heiress. An heiTess is
generally an only child-that is TO say, she
comes of a sterile stock, and sterihty is
VIGOROUSLY hereditary. If any children are born OF
the union the chances are that the tendency is trans
mitted to them and that it is intensified by similar
marriage in the next generation, and so the family
dies out Mr. Cation forifes this theory by striking
historical illustrations, He has another Interesting
ehapter on the Influences that affect the Natural
Ability of Nations" such as the prevalence OF early
marriages, OF Of cehbacy and he concludes that the
best form of civilization in respect to the improve
ment of the race would be one in which
society was not costly; where incomes were derived
from professional and not much from inherit
ance; where every lad had chance OF showing his
abilities where marriage was held in as high
honor as in ancient Jewish times; where the pride
OF race was encouraged $500; where the weak
could find welcome and refuge in celibate monas-
ferries or sisterhoods and lastly where the better
sort Of emgrants and refugees from other lands were
invited and welcomed, and their descendants
naturazed." 1t is gratifying to know that the
United States more nearly satisfies these conditions
than any other country in the world.
Mr.. Cation finally applies Darwin's theory OF Pam
genesis to the explanation of the phenomena of in
tellectnal heredty On tho supposition of Darwin
each cell which enters into the composition OF tho
body prOpagates iDnumerable "gemmuIes winch
circulate in the blood and multiply there remaining
IN that nchoate form until thoy arc able 10 nG the
selves upon other more less perfect tissue, and
then they become developed into regular cells.
Thus gemmules from many ancestral sources are
propagated with all their pecuiarities, generation
after generation, and fail to develop them
selves into cells because other antagonlsuc
gemmules Overmaster them in the struggle for points
of attachment Hence there is in every living being
ayastly larger number of capabilities than ever find
expression every patent element there are count
less latent Now it may happen that the latent
capabilities of the father and mother will combine in
the offspring TO invert the pTepOnderance of gem
mules and the child will consequently exhibit pecu
liarites which were not displayed by either of his
parents, though both possessed latent tendency
toward them. Apply to intellectual heritage the
same principle which Darwin proposes for
the explanation of physical transmission, and we
account at once for all the difficulties which
perplex the subject. We see why mental aptitudes
are transmitted from father to and at the same
time why great genius sometimes appears who ap-
parently owes nothing to his ancestors we see why
talent occasionally skips one or more generations
and reappears in remote descendant; and Mr.. Gal
ton hints that il may not be impossible, when our
observation of the necessary data has become more
perfeet TO predict the average character and ability
of auy generation from knowledge of the charac-
teristIcs of its progenitors There is something
fancfu in his book as there is apt to be in all such
speculative essays which partly science and
partly guesswork and il cannot be said that his Ob
servatons have yet been carried far enough 10 make
firm basis for his argument. Still 1t is a book
which deserves study and in the elegant and taste
ful form in which the publishers have sent IT forth
it will no doubt attract readers.
MORAL HERITAGE AND CRIMINAL EPIDEMICS.
A PHYSICIANS PROBLEMS by CHARLES ELAN,MD.,
NJ r. c. p. Crown $40. PIP. 425 London: Macmillan
& Co. l6mO PIP. 400 Boston: Fields, OsgOOd Co.
Dr. Elan has here collected seven interesting and
suggestye essays on that doubtful field OF scientific
research which includes the debatable ground be
tween the regions Of the body and the brain The