Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-04-18
PRENATAL INFLUENCE.

The Dcseret News has on many occa-
slons touched on the important subject
denoted by the heading given above
The following editorial appeared re-
Gently In the ogden Examiner. and as
1t Is timely, to the point and worthy
OF general attention, we cheerfully give
1t place In these columns:
New discoveries beget new terms.
For time these terms are confined
to the vocabulary Of the scientist
Then the people get hold Of them and
the discoveries which they represent
are popularzed. In this gradual ind
ing out on the part OF the public what
science Is doing, error Is sure TO creep
In.
"The public has never yet--if the ex-
preston may be allowed-'got hold or
the right end OF the string In regard
TO new discoveries
When Darwln's version Of the thou
-year-old theory OF evolution was
given forth. the dear public jumped TO
the conclusion that some blasphemous
individual had said that they-the pub
lic--were descended from monkeys.
And from pulpit, press and platform
they vocIferously denied the insinua-
ton.
THE latest discoveries In psychology
cal science have been along the lines
of the influence Of mind over matter.
IL has been proven conclusively that
the action OF the mind can modify
physiological and purely physical con-
dtions.
Perhaps the most sensational Of
these discoveries is that the mind OF
the mother can dominate the future
mental and moral characteristics OF the
embryo.
IAN even more sensational theory has
been mooted than this however. For
some time investigators have been
working on the prenatal determination
Of sex. The best-known name IN this
connection is that Of Schenk, who put
forth the theory-based primarily upon
observation Of plant life-that over
nutrition OF the mother during parturi-
ton produced female offspring and
vice versa. But Schenk's theories and
all others on this subject have come
to naught for the present A good
thing, too, for IL ignorant women began
10 endeavor to control the sex OF their
offspring, the balance OF Nature would
not be even long,
"The discovery of prenatal influence
Is, however, admitted by the most con-
seryatlve scientists 10 be genuine adj
vance.
Provided the public gets no extrava-
gantly wrong ideas OF this discovery.
they may apply II at once, Let the
prospective mother read intelllgenty.
take exercise as long as possible and
bend her mind on certain subjects, such
as bravery, erudltlon the pursuit OF
art or science or religion, during preg-
nancy and the child Will reap the bene-
1T,
Let the mother, during pregnancy,
be nervous, take stimulants or those
inventions OF the deyll-patent med-
clnes advertised to help her--and the
child will incline 10 degeneracy and
sickness and medIocrity as a result
"The explanation OF this apparently
wondrous phenomenon Is simple, The
act Of memory or concentration Of the
mind on any subject affects every cell
OF the body. and more particularly the
reproductive cells. The effect Is physi-
cal and permanent and Is the cause os
heredIty. Prenatal influence Is but
specialized and intelligently applied
heredity.
NOW the mistake that the public Is
likely 10 make in this particular case
IL this, They will jump to the conclu-
sion that prenatal influence Is strong
enough to accomplish 1t. It emphatic
ally Will not.
1.-THE environment which In the case
OF a young child is summed up IN the
example Of the mother, is quite az Inn
portant as the prenatal influence. Let
every mother then take pains to secure
good chance for her child, not only
by the practice of prenatal influence In
It's embryo stage but by bringing It up
in the way II should go after birth.
until puberty, and by remembering that
she Is still its mother when after puber-
ty the child itself is like TO sometimes
forget that fact"