STIGMATA, the Greek plural form of stigma, is used in various collective significations. Anatomical stigmata, for instance, comprises irregularities or malformations of various parts of the anatomy, among them being those of the face, the skull-cap, palate, teeth, tongue, lips, nose, ears, limbs, fingers, thorax and, in gen eral, any part of the human anatomy. The presence of less or more than four fingers on one human hand would be stigma, as would be the dwarfing or over growth of the frame of man or animal. Abnormal conditions of the skin, hair and limbs are also •characterized as stigmata. Often these persistent stigmata are used as signs by which to judge abnormal con ditions or physical, mental or moral degeneracy in an individual. These abnormalities have been classified by Peterson as belonging to (1) motor functions; (2) sensory functions; (3) speech; (4) genitro-urinary function; (5) in stinct or appetite; (6) diminished resistence to diseases and external influences; (7) delayed development of puberty.
Under the head of psychical stigmata are classified all kinds of irregular functions of the mind from simple feeble-mindedness, eccentric ity, moral delinquency and sexual perversion to idiocy and embecility. In this section stigmata
have been divided and subdivided by scientists and specialists into a large number of classes and a vast number of interesting and important experiments have been made to show the rela tion of each separate abnormality to the normal individual. Frederick Peterson, an authority on the subject of deformities, for example, found only 10 per cent of abnormal palates among persons apparently otherwise normal and 40 per cent among feeble-minded persons. An other investigator found 35 per cent of abnor mal palates among people subjected to general paralysis; 70 per cent among hysterical insane; 76 per cent in epileptics; 80 per cent among hopelessly insane; and 82 per cent among idiots. But apparently the investigations did not show whether the diseases were affected by the abnor malities or the latter the direct or indirect re sult of the diseases. See EUGENICS; HEREDITY;