The Washington herald., 1912-09-15

The following has been contributed by
the Medical Society Of the District Of
Columbia:
When Martin Kallikak. ST. of a good
family. was a boy OF fifteen his father
died. leaving him without parental care
or oversight Just before attaining his
majority the young man Joined one Of
| the numerous military companies that
were formed to protect the country at
the beginning of the Revolution. At one
OF the taverns frequented by the militia
he met a feeble-minded girl. by whom
he became the father Of feeble-minded
son. This child was given by It's mother
the name Of the father in full, and thus
has been handed down to posterity the
fathers name and the mothers mental
capacity. This illegitimate boy was Mar
tin Kallikak. tr., the great-great-grand-
father Of Deborah, for many years past
an inmate of the vineland institution
for the feeble-minded, and from him
have come 40 descendants One hun
dred and forty-three OF these, we have
conclusive proof. were or are feeble
minded. while only forty-six have been
found normal. The rest are unknown or
doubtful.
Among these $50 descendants IS have
been illegitimate-
There have been thirty-three sexually
immoral persons. mostly prostitutes.
There have been twenty-four confirmed
alcoholics.
There have been three epileptics.
Eighty-two died in infancy
Three were criminal
Eight kept houses OF ill-fame.
All Have Intermarried.
These people have married into other
families. generally of about the same
type. so that now there are on record
and charted 1,146 individuals.
OF this large group. 2s2 were feeble
minded, while 1877 are considered normal
the remaining 5s1 being still undeter-
mined. C'Undetermined." as here en-
ployed. means they are people We can
scarcely recognize as normally
The author traces each descendant OF
Martin Kallikak, sr.. and the feeble
minded girl and a CHASTITY story of de-
generacy Is revealed
Although Martin himself paid no fur
ther attention to the girl nor her child.
society has had to pay the heavy price
Of all the evil he engendered.
On leaving the Revolutionary army.
Martin married a respectable girl of
good family. and through that union has
come another line OF descendants of
number 4eS in direct descent All Of
them are normal people. Three men
only have been found among them who
were somewhat degenerate. but they
were not defective. Two OF these were
alcoholic. and the other sexually loose.
All Of the legitimate children of Mar
tin. ST married into the best families
OF their State, the descendants of colo
NAL governors, signers OF the Declara-
ton OF Independence, soldiers, and even
the founders OF a great university. In
this family and its collateral branches
are only representative citizens. doctors.
lawyers. Judges. educators, traders, land
holders; in short. men and women prom
inent In every phase OF social life.
The Other Side.
They have scattered over the United
States, and are prominent in their COM
munities wherever they have gone. Half
a dozen towns in New Jersey are named
from the families into which Martins
descendants have married. There have
been no feeble-minded among them, no
children. no immoral women: .
only one man was sexually loose. There |
has been no epilepsy, no criminals. no
keepers Of houses OF prostitution. Only
fifteen children have died in infancy
There has been one insane" j case OF
mania, perhaps inheriteH but
not from the Kallikak side. The appe- |
tite for strong drink has been present |
here and there in this .aTi.v from the |
beginning 1t was in Martin. sr.. AMI |
was cultivated at II time when such