The Wilmingtonian., 1886-08-07

are likely to light up, by inquiring what dis |
eases his foreiathers or kinsfolk suffered or
died from. Some diseases are notoriously
reckoned to be directly hereditary in like
kind, for example, epilepsy, phthisis, nsani-
ty. When person has one OF them we are
not at all surprised to learn that his father
or mother had it indeed, we are apt to treat
the discovery as a sufficient explanation and
to think that no more need be said. But it
is not really an explanation it is merely an
indication of the direction in which the exact
explanation has yet TO be sought. If it be a
sufficient explanation, how does it happen
that all the children of the same unsound
father or mother do not suffer in the same
way? How is it that twins, living under the
conditions, have not always,as now and then
they have, the same diseases at the same
ages? ? In calling disease hereditary it is
not really meant that the disease itself is ac-
tually inherited by the offspring, who in
that case would be born with it what is
meant is that the latter inherits certain or
ganic constitution, which, being likely to
undergo that pathological development in
the ordinary circumstances of lie, is there
fore described as constitutional predspo-
sition or tendency to the disease We do
not in the least know what is the intimate
nature of the predisposition, but we know
that it may be greater or less in different
persons, and that it is thought to be so great
in the cases of the diseases mentioned, and
so likely to be serious objection, if not an
actual bar, to marriage. Those who, having
| fallen in love, are aware of the existence of
them in their families are therefore not a lit
tie tioubled sometimes with scrrples of CON
science, and anxiously ask medical advice
whether they shall marry or not. In tne end
they commonly marry, whatever the advice
given them, having persuaded themselves
that the epilepsy was not real epilepsy, but
form of strong hystelia; that the lung
mischief was not constitutional phthiss, but
the accidental consequence of neglected
cold that the Insanity was not the outcome
of family degeneracy but an Incidental ef
feet of bow on the head which was Thought
nothing of at the time. Would the earth
even have been peopled had cool reason been
potent enough to quench the hot passion of
love?
In such case there is always this to be said
in defence of ma1iage-that the inheritance
of d sease-tendeucy, however likely, is not
invarable, One child may have it and
another be Tree from it. 1t is "A very rare
thing for all tue children Of an insane parent
to become insane indeed, it seems some
times as if the child which falls victim
Graius off the faint for thar generation. like
a sort of scape- goat sent ont into the wilder
ness that the other children escape. Nay,
more. it sometimes happens tuat one child.
aided by propitious surroundings, collects
concentrates, and develops intu some form
of genius the erratic forces which carry
another child, not so favored by its circum.
stances, into the vagalies Of insanity. Ii
like manner it is not by any means certain
that all the children of a phthisical parent
will have phthisis. Aud as regards epilepsy,
although it certainly runs in families iu q
very striking way, only one person perhaps
iu generation is struck by it. Cancer i.
popularity believed to be distinctly heredi
is its sransnsssi9ui i it be, that some medi
cal authorities doubt or even deny that it il
SO. In all these cases, however, it is proper
to take due account Of the b,fOre- -mentioueG
fact, that Il di>case-tenAency which is laten
OF dormant at one period OF life or through
out the whole life of the individual may un
dergo actual development at a particular
physiological epoch, or on OGcasiJ IN of a grea
bodily crisis from some other cause (llmOs
at the same time in twins, sOmetimes); ant
that i tendency which is lateat or dorman
in one generation may shIw itself actively
in the nnxtgoneration Herein we recoguz
the pathological parallel Of the physiologica
dormancy of qualities which was p-eviousl,
taken notice of disease tendencies, | Ike par
entail characters Of mind and body, are helt
in check or actually neutralized.
OF the direct inheritance OF IN Jrb d uuali
ties of like kind, suicide yields the most de
cidcd examples. 1t is, indeed, striking an,
startling TO observe how strong the suicida
bent is apt to b. ia those who have inherite,
it, an | how seemingly trivial cause vii
, stir it into actiua. Persons afflicted by i
will sometimes put an end to thems Ives OF
the occasion of Il petty cJntrar ETY., or whel
they are Il little out of sorts aud with al
most as little concern as if they were only
taking Short puruey. Public feeling i
much shocked, AS if something very unna
tural had happened, wh,n child Of egh
or nine years of ago commits suicide, and il
, prone tr rush to the histy conclusion that 5,
fearful au act would never have been dom
by 50 young a uh Id unless it had been sub
jtcted to very cruel treatment The rea
truth comm lny is that the act is done for {
cause that steds utterly inadequate per.
haps because his master intllctel a shglr
punishment, or because bis father scDlde,
him. or bee ,use his mother refused u Lee
him s 10 a sch lnl-treat. b It If the child
family history be inquired into, it viii uSu
ally be found thtt = line of suicide, Or q
! melanch"le depression with suicidal Ten
drury, rmnp through IT, 81 il comes To pas,
that sllght ctI>c of vgXttt,n is sufficient /,
strike and make vibrate the fundamental
lile-S!ck mute ol it. nature.
Other examples uf this form Of hrrelity
/ of much more morbid nature than sicde is
, might be giv,u. Pnthisis is Il nDaurjpu, in
stance, plrai"g - dnectly from parent /,
/ child as TO rnt III Il e cxtuction of Il FAINT,
when it is not neut'alized by favorable il
l-hreedtrg. For such neuullz ,tiun, no