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 HEREDITY AS IT RELATES TO 
 FEEBLE MINDEDNESS. 
 
 By 
 
 C. B. McNaity, M. D., 
 Kinston, N. C. 
 
 Reprint from 
 
 THE CHARLOTTE MEDICAL JOURNAL 
 
 October, 1915. 
 
 CHARLOTTE, N, C, 
 
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Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 in 2013 
 
 http://archive.org/details/heredityasitrelaOOmcna 
 
HEREDITY AS IT RELATES TO 
 FEEBLE-MINDEDNESS.* 
 
 By C. B. McNairy, M. D., Kinston, N. C. 
 
 In discussing this subject, I trust I will 
 not be expected to rely upon my own 
 observation, experience or knowledge, 
 which is quite limited, therefore, I will 
 of a necessity, be compelled to quote 
 freely, from psychologists, biologists and 
 the later authors on w r orks of heredity 
 and feeble-mindedness, giving a short 
 summary of their conclusions. 
 
 Webster defines heredity as that which 
 descends by inheritance. I think our 
 former ideas of heredity have been very 
 charitable to our forebears, in that we 
 were wont to trace only our good 
 qualities of manners, intellect and social 
 and political achievements to the long 
 ancestral stream of blue blood or royalty 
 that courses through our veins, and our 
 misfortunes, mental and physical afflic- 
 tions to something entirely foreign, for 
 instance, to evil spirits, witchcraftery, the 
 lack of social, educational and religious 
 environments. 
 
 How often have we heard it said that 
 he or she came of the noblest blood but 
 seems possessed of the devil, not for an 
 instant dreaming that they have in- 
 herited long accumulation of ancestral 
 weaknesses, and really are only the un- 
 
 *Read before the North Carolina Medical 
 Association in Greensboro, N. C, June 17, 1915. 
 
fortunate objects of the penalty of the 
 sins of the fathers. 
 
 Mendel's law, which he discovered by 
 the crossing of individual plants, mostly 
 peas, with one pair of contrasting char- 
 acters. His method consisted in cross- 
 ing two forms having distinct characters 
 and counting the number of offspring in 
 successive generations showing one of 
 the other of these characters. 
 
 He called the peculiarity with which 
 the two plants differed, the unit char- 
 acter, for example, the tallness or the 
 color of the seed, he called the characters 
 which appeared in the first generation 
 of the result of his cross, fertilization, the 
 DOMINANT. The one that did not ap- 
 pear until the second generation he called 
 RECESSIVE on the ground that it was 
 there in the first generation, but it did 
 not appear in the next generation. 
 
 Considering the spermatozoon and 
 ovum in animals. It was found that if 
 these "germs cells" previous to being 
 placed under the microscope, were put in 
 some kind of stain, certain bodies ap- 
 peared in the cells because they had ab- 
 sorbed some of the stain or coloring 
 matter. Nothing was known of the 
 function or the purpose of these bodies, 
 but because they become colored under 
 this treatment they were called color 
 bodies or chromosomes. 
 
 "It was found later that there was 
 practically always the same number of 
 these bodies in the germ cells of the same 
 species 'of plant or animal. They were 
 
thus not accidentally colored bodies, but 
 bodies of some significance. Futher- 
 more, it was discovered that there is a 
 process of maturing or ripening in these 
 cells before they are ready to unite with 
 the cell of the opposite sex for the forma- 
 tion of new individual. In this ripening, 
 the number of these bodies, or chromo- 
 somes, is reduced one-half." — (Feeble- 
 Mindedness, Goddard, p. 534). 
 
 "It is thus seen that the new individual 
 formed by this union of these two mature 
 cells there will be the regular number of 
 bodies, or chromosomes, half of which 
 have come from each parent. It was 
 soon concluded that these chromosomes 
 were to be considered the bearers of 
 Heredity, which in part at least, explains 
 the mechanism of the transmission of the 
 traits from parents to children. The off- 
 spring may inherit the same trait from 
 both parents, or he may inherit from 
 only one, therefore, we have duplex, 
 simplex, nulliplex, giving us the 
 Neomendelian classfication of individual 
 inherited determiners. For reasons 
 which we cannot explain here, the 
 biologists conceive that each chromosome 
 has within it what are called determiners, 
 that is certain particles, molecules or 
 elements, which contain within them- 
 selves the potential organ which they 
 represent, or some quality or character- 
 istic of the organ such as the color of the 
 eye or of the hair. If the individual has 
 brown eyes it is because his chromosomes 
 carried determiners for brown- eyes. If 
 
he has long arms, it is because his 
 chromosomes, some of them at least, 
 carried determiners for long arm bones." 
 — (Feeble-Mindedness, Goddard, p. 536). 
 
 "Many investigators have carried out 
 similar experiments on many species of 
 animals and plants and have greatly ex- 
 tended our knowledge of the principles 
 of inheritance discovered by Mendel. 
 But in the main, Mendel's conclusions 
 have been confirmed again and again, so 
 that there is no doubt they constitute an 
 important rule of inheritance among all 
 organisms." — (Heredity and Environ- 
 ment, Conklin, pp. 250, 297). 
 
 Breeders have long known that it is 
 possible to get certain desirable char- 
 acters of an organism from one race, and 
 other desirable characters from another 
 race. Since the discovery of the 
 Mendelian theory of Heredity, such new 
 combination of old characters have re- 
 peatedly been made, and with almost the 
 same certainty of results as when the 
 chemists make combinations of elements 
 or radicals. This is the chief method em- 
 ployed by Burbank in producing his 
 really wonderful new creations in plant 
 life. By extensive hybridization, he 
 brings about many new combinations of 
 old characters, a few of which may be 
 commercially valuable." — (Heredity and 
 Environment, Conklin, p. 379). 
 
 "East and Shull have shown that 
 Hybrids between two races of corn may 
 be very much larger and more fertile 
 than either parent. Unfortunately, such 
 
hybrid races of corn do not breed true 
 and crosses, must be made anew in each 
 generation if maximum results are to be 
 had. Nevertheless, this method of 
 hybridization, or heterozygrosis, as it has 
 been called, offers extremely important 
 means of quickly producing very vigorous 
 and fruitful individuals, but not lines or 
 races which breed true." 
 
 "This is what is meant by the control 
 of heredity ; namely, the possibility of 
 preventing the reproduction of individ- 
 uals with bad traits, and of making new 
 and favorable combinations of old traits 
 by means of selective breeding, and of 
 seizing upon and perpetuating new and 
 favorable mutations." 
 
 "The Mendelian association and dis- 
 association of characters produce new 
 forms of adult and plants, but not new 
 Heredity Characters. New combination 
 of factors may be compared to new com- 
 binations of chemical elements. You can 
 always get out of the combination what 
 went into it. The actual origin of new 
 hereditary characters or mutations is ob- 
 scure. Many individual modifications 
 may be produced, which do not become 
 racial. In most cases, such mutations 
 consist in the dropping out of some old 
 character rather than in the addition of 
 a new one." 
 
 "Science has taught us something of 
 the wonderful stability of the past time 
 and of future ages — something of the 
 eternity of natural processes — it is surely 
 not possible, to improve on nature's 
 
method of eliminating the most unde- 
 sirable lines from reproduction. This has 
 been the chief factor in the establish- 
 ment of the races, of domesticated 
 animals and cultivated plants. The im- 
 provements of environment and oppor- 
 tunities for individual development, en- 
 ables men at the present day to get more 
 and more of their heredity than was pos- 
 sible in the past. The advance of civiliza- 
 tion has made only improvements of en- 
 vironment, but neither environment nor 
 training change the hereditary capacity 
 of man. There has been no perceptible 
 improvement in human heredity within 
 historic time. Nothing comparable with 
 the changes which have occurred in 
 domesticated animals. Indeed, no 
 modern race of men is the equal of certain 
 ancient ones. The method of elimination 
 by the destruction of the weak, cowardly, 
 and antisocial which was the method 
 practiced in ancient Sparta is repungent. 
 The worst forms of mankind may be pre- 
 vented from propagating, and the best 
 t3 T pes may be encouraged to increase and 
 multiply. 
 
 "Children's children are the crown of 
 old men and the glory of children are 
 their fathers." Prov. 17:6. 
 
 "Galton has pointed out the fact that 
 in the little country of Attica in the 
 century between 530 and 430 B. C. four- 
 teen illustrious men, one for every four 
 thousand three hundred of the free born 
 adult male population." 
 
 In the two centuries, 500 and 300 B. 
 
C, this small barren country, with area 
 and total population about equal to that 
 of the present state of Rhode Island, with 
 less than one-fifth of the free population, 
 produced twenty-five of the illustrious 
 men. Among whom were Pericles, 
 Aristodes, Comon, Themistocles, Euri- 
 pides, Sophocles, Socrates, Plato, Aris- 
 totle,. Demosthenes and others. These 
 illustrious men came from a remarkable 
 race, composed of individuals, by a pro- 
 cess of unconscious, but severe selections. 
 Athens was the intellectual and social 
 capital of the world and to it the most 
 ambitious and capable men were irresist- 
 ably drawn. It was a good heredity as 
 well as good imigration that made 
 Athens famous." 
 
 "Galton concludes that the average 
 ability of the Athenian race of that period 
 was, on the lowest possible estimate, as 
 much greater than that of the English 
 race of the present day, as the latter is 
 above that of the African Negro." 
 
 "Social morality grew exceedingly 
 fast, marriage became unfashionable and 
 was avoided. Many of the more ambi- 
 tious and accomplished women were 
 avowed courtesans, and consequently in- 
 fertile, and the mothers of the incoming 
 population were of the heterogeneous 
 class. It is therefore no surprise to us 
 that the high Athenian breed decayed 
 and disappeared." "He that begetteth 
 a fool, doeth it to his sorrow, and the 
 father of a fool hath no joy. A foolish 
 son is a grief to his father, and bitterness 
 
to her that bare him." Prov. 17:21 and 
 
 25. 
 
 The best authorities of today give 
 heredity as the direct cause of feeble- 
 mindedness in 75 per cent, of the cases 
 with the most conservative, others 
 holding- that as much as 90 to 95 per cent, 
 of all feeble-mindedness is due to hered- 
 ity."— (Dr. H. H. Goddard, Vineland, N. 
 J. ; Dr. Burnstine, Rome, N. Y. ; Dr. Rich- 
 ard Cabot, Boston, Mass. ; Dr. Fernald, 
 Waverley, Mass.). 
 
 "Feeble-Mindedness produces more 
 pauperism, degeneracy and crime than 
 any other one force. It touches every 
 form of charitable activity. It is felt in 
 every part of our land. It effects in some 
 way all our people. Its cost is beyond 
 our comprehension. It is the unappre- 
 ciated burden of the unfortunate. It is 
 a burden we are compelled to bear; 
 therefore, let us bear it intelligently, to 
 the end that the chain of evil may be 
 lessened, the weak cared for and the 
 future brighter with hope because of our 
 effort. 
 
 "Ye who are strong must bear the in- 
 firmities of the weak." — (Amos W. But- 
 ler). 
 
 "There can be no doubt that the main 
 characteristics of every living thing are 
 unalterably fixed by heredity. Men 
 differ from horses or turnips because of 
 their inheritance. Our family traits 
 were determined by the hereditary con- 
 stitutions of our ancestors, our inherited 
 personal traits by the hereditary consti- 
 
tutions of our fathers and mothers. By 
 the shuffle and deal of the hereditary- 
 factors in the formation of the germ cells 
 and by the chance union of two of these 
 cells in fertilization, our hereditary 
 natures were forever sealed. Our ana- 
 tomical, physiological, psychological pos- 
 sibilities were predetermined in the germ 
 cells from which we came. All the main 
 characteristics of our personalities were 
 born with us and cannot be changed ex- 
 cept within relatively narrow limits. 
 'The leopard cannot change his spots nor 
 the Ethiopian his skin,' and 'though thou 
 shouldest bray a fool in a mortar with 
 a pestle yet will not his foolishness de- 
 part from him.' Race, sex, mental 
 capacity are determined in the germ cells, 
 perhaps in the chromosomes, and all the 
 possibilities of our lives were there fixed, 
 for who by taking thought can add one 
 chromosome, or even one determiner to 
 his organization?" 
 
 (Conklin, Heredity and Environment, 
 Page 447.) 
 
 It has been well said that there are 
 three important events in a man's life : 
 "His ingress into the world. 
 His progress through the world. 
 His egress out of the world. 
 His ingress into the world is naked and 
 
 bare. 
 His progress through the world is trouble 
 
 and care 
 His egress out of the world is, God 
 
 knows where 
 
10 
 
 "there?' 65 ^ ^ he Wil1 do 
 
 well 
 
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