Alcoholism and evil disposition, with criminal tendencies, are ascribable to heredity, according to Moreau. It has generally been found that the major portion of inherited alcoholism is due to the alcoholism of one or both parents.
[This may be estimated at nearly two thirds, after an examination of the records. KERR.] The transmissibility of an alcoholic inheritance has been very generally ad mitted, among other writers by Plutarch, Aristotle, Darwin, Rush, Morel, Lan cereaux, Grenier, Magnan, Day, Wright, Mason, Carpenter, Thompson, Richard son, Forel, and Demme.
Alcoholic heredity may be divided into single or double, mediate (parental) or immediate (grandparental, etc.), homo geneous (transmitted as alcoholism) or heterogeneons (transmitted as some other neurosis).
An innate tendency to alcoholic excess has been observed in children of tender years,—from two years old and onward, by Barlow, More-Madden, Langdown Down, Kerr, and others.
Examination of two groups of 10 families each in a children's hospital. One group of 57 was affected, more or less, by alcohol; the other of 61 was unaffected, or slightly so. Of the first group 20 had inebriate fathers, the mothers and grandparents being mod erate drinkers. Only 45 per cent. of these had healthy constitutions; 31 had inebriate fathers and grandfathers, but temperate mothers and grandmothers; only 2 of these, or a little over 6 per cent., were healthy. Of the 61 children belonging to temperate families, S2 per cent. were in good health. Demme (Brit. Med. Jour., Sept. 27, '90).
Among S19 descendants of 215 alco holic families there were 12] premature deaths, generally from convulsions, 38 cases of physical debility, 55 of tuber culosis, and 145 of mental derangement. Among the remainder were many cases of epilepsy, hysteria, idiocy, etc. Legrain (Med. Press and Circular, June 13, '94).
When double parental alcoholism is of sufficient duration to induce nerve central organic disturbances, a weekly mind in the offspring is inevitable. Wil kins (N. Y. Med. Jour., Sept. 22, '94).
Large percentage of insane children in Germany due to habitual drinking. Al
cohol produces acquired insanity by act ing as exciting cause, and hereditary insanity by causing organic changes, which are transmitted to descendants. Habitual drinking is most detrimental to offspring. Rust (Med. Pioneer, Aug., '95).
The generative cells of drunkards alco holized and their children are degener ates; their resisting-force against alcohol is thus diminished. Evolutionary adap tation of mankind to alcohol is impos sible. Ftirer (Le Bull. Med., Aug. 25, '95).
Experimental closing of hens' eggs with alcohol delays and modifies develop ment, monstrosities and anomalies result ing. Frere (Jour. de l'Anatomie et de la Physiologie Normales et Pathologiques de l'Homme et des Animaux, Mar., Apr., '95).
Report of 141 cases of idiocy, epilepsy, dementia, etc., directly traced to alcoholic parentage and demonstrating the alco holo-neuropathic heredity of the drink crave, the drink-habit, and the drink vice, and vice versa. Sollier (Alienist and Neurologist, Apr., '97).
Influence of maternal inebriety on the offspring. Series of cases of chronic drunkard women who have borne chil dren were selected from the female popu lation of Liverpool prison, among whom habitual inebriety had been very preva lent. Of 120 female inebriates whose his tories were trustworthy there were born 600 children, of whom 265 (44.2 per cent.) lived over two years, while 335 children (55.8 per cent.) died when under two years of age, or were still-born. With a view to establishing comparisons with a healthy non-alcoholic standard, it was found that 21 of the women were able to give details regarding female rela tives (sisters or daughters) of sober habits who had contracted marriages with sober males and had borne children. Thus. of sober mothers, 28 in number, there were born 133 children, of whom 33 (23.9 per cent.) died when under two years of age. Thus the death-rate among the children of the inebriate mothers was nearly two and a half times as great as that among the infants of sober women of the same stock.