48 HEREDITY AND SOCIAL FITNESS 



and V-221. She recently luid a child which the mother wished to 

 make waj^ with. The attending physician interfered, threatening her 

 with the law should she do so. Nothing has })een seen of this child for 

 several weeks, but the case has not yet been investigated. 



Two children (VI-151, 152) from the union of V-221 and 222 are both 

 small for their ages, backward in walking and talking, but apparently 

 healthy. 



The next son (V-224) in this fraternity was born 1886. Is alcoholic, 

 but works with fair ability and steadiness at odd jobs. The family 

 into which he married are noteworthy for their drinking and worth- 

 lessness. They had ten children, four of whom died in infancy, while 

 the four youngest w-ere taken by a charitable society because of the 

 gross neglect of their parents. The father was drowned, while intoxi- 

 cated, some years ago, and the mother, also very alcoholic, now shares 

 the poor apartments of V-224 and his wife. V-225, the wife of V-224, 

 is slow, listless, silly; a very poor housekeeper, under constant treat- 

 ment for ailments which appear to be largely imaginary. • 



The next daughter (V-227) in this fraternity is sexually immoral and 

 alcoholic, and was divorced from her first husband because of her man- 

 ner of life. Her second husband, who is as bad as she, does not live with 

 her at present. She is very neurotic and quarrelsome. Is often shel- 

 tered for brief periods with her brother and sisters, and then drifts 

 away to take up with anyone who will support her, or to be "employed" 

 in various low-class hotels. Has never had any children. 



The next younger members in this fraternity are a pair of twins, of 

 whom V-231 died at 18 months of cholera infantum. V-229, born 

 1889, is one of the most capable members of the family. Has always 

 been a modest, well-behaved girl, and graduated from country school 

 at the age of 15. While on a visit to her sister she met V-230, w^ho had 

 been a waif and adopted by very decent people owning considerable 

 property. He had high-school and business training, and now runs a 

 launch for a large meat firm. The home of this couple is in a very good 

 section of the city, well furnished and managed. The w^ife had a ner- 

 vous collapse after the birth of her first child. Is continually taking 

 medicine and now has spells when she can "fly all to pieces at noth- 

 ing." Otherwise is civil, obliging, fairly intelligent, and keeps aloof 

 from her less fortunate brothers and sisters. Two children, born 1909 

 and 1912, are bright and full of mischief. 



The next younger sister, V-233, born about 1892, cohabited with a 

 man who had a wife living. He was abusive, alcoholic, with no definite 

 occupation, but is said to have provided fairly well for V-233. She 

 died a year ago, after the birth of her fourth child. The two younger 

 children were taken for a time by strangers, but now all are said to be 

 living together and cared for by their paternal grandmother. 



The next daughter, V-235, born about 1893, was always very dull 

 and backward at school. Has married V-234, who is a brother of 



