New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-06-06
ANTHRoPoLoGIsTs AT WORK.
NEBRIErY AN HEREDITARY DISEASE.
PRINCE ROLAND BoNAPARTE PRESENTS HIS Woke
TO THE ACADEMY.

| PRINCE ROLAND BoNAPARrE PRESENTS HIS WORKS
TO THE ACADEMY
The second session Of the International Con-
gress Of Anthropology yesterday fully sustained
the interest occasoned by the converting OF the
| Congress here on Monday. Solid work was done
Yesterday, the range of topics covering Prince
Roland Bonapartes address in his own anthropo-
logical works, the Ohio mounds, pathological in
ebriate heredity, mental automatism, cannibahsm
and transmission Of deformity The Sc sion orenea
at 10 a. m, with Dr. Edward G. Mann IN the
chair and DR.. II. S. Drayton as secretary. Prince
| Bonaparte was the first speaker OF the morning.
lie had with him one large book and six or
seven smaller paper-covered ones The largest
one is entitled " Les Habitants de Surinamea Am
sterdam.H Others relate to voyages by Neither
| landers to New-Guinea, and ole to the Princes
visit TO Lapland He was hampered by scientific
terms in addressing the audience, but his remarks
were received with applause. He spoke Of what
he saw at the Amsterdam exhibition Of the pro iuc ts
of the natives of Dutch Guiana At the close
of his remarks be presented his books to the
Academy and Dr. Mann received them with few
appropriate words.
ExJudge Charles T. DAILY president of the
American Geographical Society, told the audience
how two other previous attempts had been made
/
Professor f. p Thwing, of Brooklyn, read an ex.
| haustive paper on Mental Automatism." He
| aimed to illustrate certain forms OF unconscious
mental action and to show the scientific and eth
| ical value OF this department. of anthropologlcal
| study.
| A PAPER OF UNUSUAL INTEREST.
The paper which attracted the most interest and
aroused the deepest thought of the session was
one contributed by Dr. Norman Kerr of London,
president of the Society for the Study of inebrety
| and chairman of the British Medical Association
of the Habitual Drunkdrds' Legig atvs Committee.
Dr. Kerr wrote in part
Persons who have committed crime or been guilty
OF offences against morals manners whlle under the
Influence OF achoho or other narcotic stimuans have
hitherto generally regarded des gning criminals
No uncomfortable portion Of evil deeds done oy drunk
ards is the Of physical disease. II this prior
diseased condition had been rectfed their deeds would
never have been perpetraied This dlsordsred state,
this disease of inebriey, or narcomana, may be &C
of those leading Inebriety Fully one-half Of in
ebrlaes had this fatal Inheritance handed to them
Inebrate herediiy may be direct or indirect. In
the direct form there may be an mate tendency to
in narcotics II these DO tamPered with so that
predsposton may consist Of an overpowefng Impulse
to get drunk, soon sip OF an lnto1can aeuses
but there is an unmstakabe unhealthy Impulse din:
cult withstand Whether resis ed or not, this class
clvy TO Intoxicsnis that the slightest apple Of
exciting cause almost aies mo subject UNI
a Of incbrfate excess In other cases tneio
seems TO be actual prenatal craving for nfoxicans
An unhealthy condition of tho nerye-substance or
| OF the various bodily functions may also be trans
mltted This inheritance though neither alchohoIlc
nor opiatcin Itself, may be of distressing and de-
| pressing nature that the perturbation OK function
may orginae a strong impulse to or craving for IN
| toxication.
THE LESSON ENFORCED
morbid state Of organ or tissue may descend.
Thus the first child OF lnebraite parents may be an
IDIOT the second epeptlc. third neurotio and
fourth an inebratc The heredities are so powerful
that the health history of nebraes should be carefully
traced that proper allowance could be made for the
| physical inability under which many suffer-
This paper was read by DR.. Lewis D. Mason, OF
| Brooklyn Professor w. e. Anderson, OF the
| Adephi Academy, next read paper contributed
| BY Professor Cyrus Thomas Of the Smithsonian
| Institution, Washington, entitled The Problem
of the Ohio Mounds paper was next read by
| DR. Drayton contributed by General Charles w.
Darling, corresponding secretary of the e Oneida
| Historical Society, on Anthropothogsm Historic
and Prehistoric" 1t dealt with cannibalism.
DR. NJ. L. Holbroox, of this city, closed the exer-
cises with a paper on Transmission OF Defornnty
| Through Three Generations"