The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1931-03-06

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The famous German case, partly leg
endary and partly substantiated by
records Of the time, of the woman who
gave birth to eight children at one
time, is also recalled. In this instance
so rare that it is mentioned in all
reference works on biological anom-
alies-the four blastospheres again
divided to form eight. An extremely
vital reproductive cell may survive
two divisions and four normal chill
dren result.
Nathaniel D. Mttron Hirsch in a
book Twins: Heredity and Environ
ment," published by the Harvard Uni
versity Press, contributes some inter-
esting deductions ON the factors which
produce twinning. He says: "It is
not known whether the tendency to
twinning resides in the father or in
the mother; it is possible to be deter
mined by either or both. The tendency
TO duplicate or identical twinning may
be determined by one parent and the
tendency to fraternal twinning may be
determined by the opposite parent"
Some of the most important evil
dence as to the nature mode of sex
determination and much additional
light on the age-old dispute over the
relative Importance of heredity and
environment comes from a study Of
Identical twins who have been
adopted in infancy by different fam
lilies, according to Dean Newman who
has had charge of study made by the
University of Chicago, of orphans
adopted into private homes. Among
the 800 children studied were 80 sets
of twins. OF this number the cases of
two were particulrly interesting
that of Eleanor and Georgiana Kelly.
Eleanor had been adopted when she
was two years old, Georgiana at
eighteen months. Both had grown up
in environments in many respects en-
tirely different. And yet they are as
nearly alike as they could be, not only
in appearance but in the matter Of
mental drives and impulses as well.
In contrast to the Kelly twins, there
is the case Of Alice and Olive Redman,
also identical twins studied and OBJ
served by Doctor Newman and his as
sistants. Alice and Olive, born in
London. were separated from each 9TH
er, through adoption, for more than
ten years. Not long ago, they were
reunited in Oshawa, near Toronto,
Canada.
The Redman girls received about
the same amount and kind of educa-
ton, they are remarkably alike phys
ically, and they apparently have the
same interests and tastes. But there
is vast difference in the mental de-
velopments of the girls
OF other contradictions found in the
study of twins, Dean Newman says:
Some of the twinc we studied make
a positive effort to be different from
each other. This is true even of iden-
teal twins, but, in the case Of girls,
the varying of the style of dress, Golf
fure and type of cosmetics used by
each make it quite easy for them to
appear different
'Where we gave the mental tests to
Identical twins, while they were sep
arated from each other, we found that
in some cases they do not score as
well as when they take the tests to-
gether. although they give each other
no material aid whatever. It would
almost suggest that so great is their
similarity and sympathy that one is
not quite complete without the other"
OF the heredity vs. environment fac
tor, Dean Newman says:
I'VE believe that the study definite
ly shows that heredity is not the sole
factor in determination of intelligence.
Assuming a rough division of low, av-
erage and superior intelligence, our
calculations Of the gains made BY the
foster children as result of improved
environment indicates a rise from the
border region between low and aver
age to the upper limits Of the aver
age group"