The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1883-09-26
Transmitted to Your Chiidrens
Children.

Chiidren.
Tie fo~llowing extract - from a ecture
&c. ntly delivered by Dr. " iiiari Parker.
Tue tendency Of IKE to ueEvt lke l.
-tauuei upoo the whuie .1rGan1c word.
la the vegetable Kingdom p~cgllaritle-
II species are produced and ~propagated
Is the observance OF certain CONDITIONS
The hereditary traits % animals are
transmitted with wonderful accuracy. and
he preservation u various breeds OF
domestic animals. aud their mpr"vemeut
even. l. based upon the principle OF he
reiity. Ia tue human rice. family traits
II character aud ~pecula1tles oi form
feature. complexion, and temperament.
are carr d from gene-atIon 10 generation
AND since the nbIe OF the man, ht> natu
raj yiyor, and the constitution OF his
nervOu. system determine h> intellectual.
,rasp aud character. we hud upOu ex
animation, that mental ability ruus ~
~auiIie, An exceedingly iu'erc,tIns and
able work by an English author. Francis
Ga.ton. on .Hereditar, Genius, WAS IL
-ued By "a New York publ >hing hou>e a
few wear, ago. IN which the various pro-
I fes-i0us are classified, aud the family re-
| afion-hip OF many of the prominent
members examined. II l. there shown.
among other things. that ability for the
investigation aud decision OF judicial
questions was decidedly hereditary, and
that many Of the most eminent judges
We e grandf.thers, sons, aud g~raudsoDs.
Tins. however, i physiological Aeredity.
There j. a diseased heredity IN which
there i a still more marked tendency to
the u~ausmissiun Of diseased conditions.
ThGs. a. l. generally well known, con
sumptlye parents beret cousumptlve
| children. aud the taint Ut certain specific
diseases i sure t. place IT. mark some
where upon the constitution Of offspring
for several geuer ,uous.
But Ut an age Us. alcohol j. the most
potent in establishing a heredIty that
EXHIBITS II eIf IN the destruction OF
mind AMI bod. It's mallgu influence
was observed by The ANCIENT, long before
the promotion ot whl,key or brandy, or
other Distilled liquors, ami when iel-
mented liquors OF vines ou.N We're known.
Aristotle says, Drunken women bring
forth children like unto themselves. and
Ilutsrch remarks, "One drunkard begets
another. Lycurgus made drunkenness
10 women infamous by exhibitions and
Romulu, una lie 1t punishable with death,
because the hat 1t was regari led a. leading
to immortality which would compromise
the family integrity. But although the
broad ~teatur, OF alcoholism were appre-
ciatcd by the ancIeIitS, later aud more
exc Investigations have thrown more
night upon the subject
The hereditary influence of alcohol
manifest, Itself in various waJ,. 1t
transmits an appetite Tor strong drink TO
the children, and these are likely to have
lhAt form Of drunkenness which may be
termed paroxySmal that is they will 90
tor i considerable period without indulg
Ing, placing restraint upon themselves,
Out at last all the barriers Of se~lfcontrol
give way they yield to the irresistible
appetite. aud then their indulgence is ex-
IRENE The drunkarj by inheritance is
a more helpless slave than his progeni
tor. aud the children that he begets are
moie he 'pless still, unless on the mothers
side the { is engratcd upon them ~un,aint-
cd stock.
But ; hereditary influence IS not con-
fined to the propagation OF drunkards 1t
produces insanity, idiocy, epilepsy, and
other affections otthe brain and nervous
system, not only IN the transgressor him
self, but in his children, and these will
transmit predisposition to any Of these
diseases. Prichard and Esquiroi, two
great authorities upon the subject, attri-
butte half of the cases of insanity in
England to the use of alcohol. DR.. Ben
jamin Rush believed that one-third cases
VI i~nsani'y IN this country were caused
by intern perance, and this was long be
fore its hereditary potency was adequate
ly appreciated. DR.. : q. Howe attri-
buted one half Of the cases of ldiocy 10
the State Of Massachusetts to intemper-
snce, and he Is sustained in his opinion
by the uost reliable authorities. DR..
Howe states that there were seven idiots
in one family where both parents were
drunkards. One half of the idiots 10
England are OF drunken parentage, and
the same is true of Sweden, aud proba-
:. bly, of most European countries. 1t is
SAID that in St. Petersburg most OF the
idiots come from drunken parents.
When alcoholism docs not produce in
sanity. idiCcy, or epilepsy, it weakens
the conscience, impairs the will, and
, makes the individual the creature Of i'm
! pulse and no, OF reason. Dir. Carpenter
regards II as more potent IN weakening
the will and ~arouslng the more violent
! passions than any other agent, and thinks
! it not improbable that the habitual use
of alcoholic beverages, which are pro
, duced in such great quantities in civil
> lied countries, has been one great cause
OF the hereditary tendency to insanity.