The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-08-07

WHEELING, W, VA" AUGUST . 1880


Without our desires being consulted We
arebrougnt into the world and become the
heirs Of our parents wealth or health
their debts or diseased
The plsipest evidences OF heredity are
in family resemblance, shown by tho tea'
t,res, iol IN OF figure, color OF hair, color OF
ewes. and tones Of voice. The mental and
moral Characteristic, such as Brightness
or dulluess Of intellect, bravery or cow
ardlc,, courage or timidity, honor or de-
c.it, the Lssty temper or tho Wild alspo'
s,tiop ara all the results OF heredIty more
than education. Blue blood Ia rs plainly
transmitted as tho bsser fluid, and admI'
rab,e qualities of mind and bldy go down
III line Of human heritage as evidently
as the speed ard 0p!rt OF u Haub'elonlan
h orso are seon in b!ooded stock,
Although these mental and physical re-
ssmblancss can generally be traced In a
f.mily, they do not always follow a direct
d scent, but sometimes skip a generation
or crop out unexpectedly from moro dis
t.ut relationship. Second cousins arc
o'.sn a!riklugly alike. Though Nature
often changes tho mould she neVeE
breaks it.
Diseases tina! arc implanted in tho living
unborn body might lie divided into tTo
classes and called consGnital and heredl'
tary. The mobt common Of the gloups
into which tho first class might be divided
is that Of perverted nutrition, by which
the unborn body may be unduly nourish-
cd and attain wight q twenty'four
pounds; or /! may have q perfect but
small development and tho weight only
rsich three pounds or there may 30 one
o,moro crKans oyeI-deyeloped at the ex'
D ,npe Of the rest Of the body; or again,
suffering complete arrest OF nutrition 1t
may undergo gradua! and general de-
co GposItion.
There may be, during inIr2-uterlnc lie,
inflammation Of different organs and diff
fe,en. Struc.ures that would cause well.
d.Gntd disease to begin, 80 through its
course, aud reach favorable ending.
The unborn child has baen known to go
through attacks Of communiCsb!o diseases,
and strange. still, has had the small
pox and other such contagious diseases
without the mother being affected.
Tumos, benign and malignant, appear in
unborn children. A fatal cancer il some.
times found aB congenital growth, the
parents being FREQ from even q faint OF
such disease.
In addition to these and other active
forms of corgsnital diseases, are certain
mallotmstons. Too many or Too few
fingers or toes; webbed fingers; marks OF
different color and shapo on tho skin,
commonly called birth marka; club feet
and cross eyed. From an arrest Of devel.
opment occur cleft palate and hare lip. In
d .at mutes there is failure Of Construc.
ton either in the ear, In the nervous cord
leading 10 the brain, or in the speech CEN
ira OF the brain; but not in the organ Of
speech, for it is q well.settled fact that
talking is only initiative, and person
who is entirely deaf gradually becomes
dumb. Idlocy Is caused by . primitive
failure in the development OF the whole
brain.
The second class OF tho inherited dis.
eases, the real hereditary maladies, are
many, most common among them being
Ecrolula, consumption, cancer, epilepsy,
insanity, rheumatism, govt and syphilis,
that most common and most fatal Of all
the curses that have been inflicted on hui
manity. Tho list Is largo and constant.
ly being added to, us the field Of observa.
ton is more carefully cultivated. Many
OF these diseases do not aeem tobc heredi-
tary, for they may never appear at all.
It Is only the tendency or proClivity that
Is inherited, and thisi.dopends on the pc.
Culiar organism. There may.b an in.
hsrited proCliyity, for instance, for or
against scarlet fever or diphthcria. The
subject Of tho inherited tendency to con.
sumption may live in such favorable by.
gieniC surroundings thRt'i may never
show It's dread presence.
This popularity was formally supposed
to exist in the blood, but now 1t 10 known
and accepted by science as fact, although
It cannot be clearly proved, that this trans.
mitted popularity exists in the nervous
system and not in the blood. 1t Is also
recognized that the peculiarly depends
on certain condition Of tho central nerv.
GUS System, or brain, and not Of the per.
ipheral or terminal nerves. For example,
a man may sustain IN injury Of the brain
structure and as q result have epileptic at.
tacks which are transmitted as a hetedlt.
airy tendency to his children and children'B
children, while he may have leg ampu.
tated and no mark OF tho deiormity IL eyor
seen inhiu postetity.
The more perfect, then, We can keep
our physical life, the creator chance |
We have for health and rlpu old ago, and
The more We can hope 10 leave health and |
long life 10 our children as tue richest
possible heritage.
ljiIiiAKFAs,r DUDGEr.