The Wichita daily eagle., 1897-12-09
Traits of .Heredity.


There is much to occupy the students Of
criminolcgy, just at present. Crime seems
rampant, and one cannot pick up a news
paper without being confronted with details
of some shocking instance OF human de-
p,av:ty. In this connection a peculiar sig
n:ficance attaches itself TO a paper in the
October Forum prepared by Professor
Lcmbroso, the great Italian student OF
crime, on the heredity of acquired charac-
ter:stics.
Professor Lombroso adduces an almost
numerous instance from his study of the
cameEwhich is identified with the llama
except in stature and the hump;-Fhe
camel differs strikingly from the llama IN
that it possesses the hump-that fatty
mass, with special development OF some
of tie spinal processes. For long time
1 could not explain this hump One day,
however, a poor porter, having complaint
in his chest, came to consult me, and on
exs mination I found, half way down his
back, precisely where he was wont TO rest
his burdens, tumor larger than man
fist. formed almost wholly of adipose t-s-
sue. Il suddenly occurred to me that this
lump-which not only caused the porter no
Inconvenience. but even aided him in his
vork-might perhaps serve as clew 10
my mystery of the camefs hump. L sue
ceeded in examining seventy porters or
various occupations, and was able to find
| four more examples of this fatty tumor
What was of even greater value in our
| inquiry was the fact that fifty per cent OF
| the pcrters examined. although having no
real hump, yet presented an unusuaf pro-
| tuberapce of the spinal processes TWO vet
erans of the art presented formations Sun
more singular, namely, curvatures OF the
spine, OF true acquired humps. while the
| breast was puffed up.
| The camel, acting as four-footed porter
| to man for untold ages. had simply ac-
| quired its hump. Furthermore, this hump
| Is atropbied in the racing camel as well as
! in the camel in a wild state. Yet 1t IS
| found well formed in the new born camel.
The single hump of the dromedary. again.
is but the fusion Of the double hump The
| Turcomans changed the form of the trap
ping, amputated the second hump, and
| bred from beasts with the second hump
| less developed, and the camel evolved into
| the dromedary."
| After tracing the TRANSMISSION or ac-
| quired physical traits from the early
| Egyptians and Hebrews. Professor Lom-
broso touches upon mental characteristics.
4
brews,'- he says, begun at the time OF the
| Roman conquest, so crushed them as to
leave surviving only the timid and those
who, showing less boldness, were able to
avoid or forestan oppression. The result
| is that instead of warlke and heroic cour-
| age, we find among characteristics of the
| Hebrews timidity and love of gain. This
may be established statistically by the very
| small number of suicides and Of soldiers
| We find among the Hebrews an excessive
| activity and curiosity, political and sclen-
| tific: while inertia, apathy and the absence
| of scientific curiosity are proverb:al in tbs
Semitic
The professor draws the next parable
nearer home:-"Moreover, does not the
| North American offer the best evidence
| o. the heredity of newly acquired charac-
| teristics, both physical and psychical? Tht
/ skin has become darker. the orbits larger
| the neck longer, the head smaller and more
| rounded, the fingers longer, than those Of
| his Anglo Saxon father. And as to his
| moral nature, it is well known how much
| he has changed from the British type. The
| Overwhelming reverence Of the English FOL
| tradition and historic Journalism has beer
| replaced by a true passion for modernity
| This happens because a race among The
most robust of Europe has been trans
ported to different surroundings; and the
! struggle for existence-rendered fiercer ir
| the wilderness and among hostile tribes
| if it served to destroy the weaker, gave
room for the greater development of th'
| strong But above all, the American ha!
broken completely all the constraints and
bonds of historical traditions that have re-
| mained so tenacious in Europe; he has, or
| the contrary, developed the sense of tbs
new and Of independence. These condi
tons developed, even to the point of z
| natural disposition. the sense of the grand
lose and the gigantic, which he carries IN
to his buildings, his monuments, and hi:
| undertakings generally"