The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1894-08-16
HEREDITARY ALCOHOLISM.
Evidence in Proof of the In herited Thirst
Theory.

Evidence in Proof of the Inherited Thirst
Theory
The part which heredity plays in
fGss;Si;Pae has been so clearly demonstrated
t any argument is superfuous.
idren inherit aptitudes and tenden-
..-4eS which sometimes begin their fatal
work at once, or which age, SEX tenn
permanent, hygiene, surrounding condi-
tions, develop into morbid activity.
The history of the largest family of
criminals known in America-the
Jukes-has been graphically written
by MIR. r. l.. Dugdale. The ancestors
, of the Julles" is thus described: "A
hunter and fisher. a hard drinker,"
(the italics are minel. Jolly and com
paniOnable, averse to steady toll"
There is ample evidence to prove
that the preponderating influence in
criminal heredity is alcohol OF course
there is some difficulty in shading the
line between heredity and environment
A child born of drunken parent Is
very likely to have surroundings that
promote pauperism and crime, but that
alcoholism has a definite place IN
heredity criminality is demonstrated
beyond a question. Even the ancients
understood the danger. The physical
results Of drunken hercdity are pointed
out by them in the myth of Vulcan
whose deformity was attributed to the
drunkenness of Jupiter when the lame
Lemnian was conceived.
Ribot. who is generally regarded as
an authority concerning hereditv.
firms: The passion known as dip
somania, or alcoholism, is so frequent
ly transmitted that all are agreed in
considering its heredity as a rule. Not
that the passion for drink is always
transmitted in that identical form, for
il often degencrates into mania. idiocv,
or hallucination." Ribot further quotes
DR.. Morel, who examined one hundred
and fifty children, from ten to seven
teen years of age, who had been taken
FROM behind 'the barbados during the
trouble with the commune, This ex-
nation says Morel, has confirmed
me in my previous convictions as to the
baneful effects produced by alcohol. not
only in individuals who use this detest-
able drink to excess. but also in their
NSnNN 'lN'tt+4e ',' VII LllGll NlCJtd tJilNSl-
ognomy is impressed the threefold
stamp of physical, intellectual and
moral dcgcneracy"
OF the 900 criminals who have passed
through the Elmira reformatory. IS. :
per cent were the children of drunken
parents, with the probability fairly es-
tablishcd of Ill per cent. to be added,
making 40. per cent of the criminals
who had been prisoners there the vic
Tins of hereditary alcoholism.
Mario found that fl per cent. of
criminals which he studied We're chill
drcn Of alcoholizcd parents, and Rossi.
out of H. found 81 per cent Of the same
hereditary taint. This includes those
no we're criminals from direct intern
perancc only in so far as they were
children of drunken heredity.
Nor Is it necessary. says IIaveloclz
Ellis, that the alcoholism should be
carried so far as to produce great OBJ
vious injury to the parent. The action
of the poison may be slow, and carried
on frola generation to generation. The
fathers have eaten sour grapes; the
children teeth are set on edge"
The relation of alcohol to crime is
much more involved than many have
suspected. The cumulative result of q
few generations OF moderate drinking