258 MENTAL AND PHYSICAL RESULTS. 



conception, and the new material added tends to take on the con- 

 ditions pre-existing in the original cells. From the time of con- 

 ception, however, the cells and the added material exist in a state 

 of biological disuse, which disuse is gradually changed into use at 

 some period after birth and before maturity. The functional con- 

 dition, therefore, first declines and afterwards rises, and the dis- 

 tance it falls below the average condition of the adult of the race 

 depends upon the point at which it started out at the time of con- 

 ception. As the periods of gestation and of infancy represent a 

 definite period of time during which disuse exists, it is evident that 

 the functional power will drop off to a nearly or quite constant 

 amount and will be lowest when the starting point is lowest. As 

 a consequence of this the son of a beardless youth starts use from 

 a very low point, and as he does not have an infinite length of time 

 in which his organs can grow and be gradually changed into the 

 functioning condition, he cannot rise as high as can some other 

 son who starts on a higher plane. 



THE BEARD AND SEXUAL MATURITY. 



In the case of the beard we have an organ which is not subject 

 to the law of use and disuse, and consequently it does not lose dur- 

 ing gestation and infancy some quality which it had at the time of 

 conception. It does, however, lose in another way by reason of 

 early reproduction, as we see in the case of the lower races of men 

 who reproduce early and are beardless. Going over Europe from 

 South to North we have a regular gradation of later and later 

 reproduction, and accompanying this we have just as regular an 

 increase of beard until we come to the Eskimos, who reproduce 

 early and are beardless. Among the lower races, the Australian 

 is the only one strongly bearded, and among these we find a low 



