190 WEEKS— HEREDITY OF EPILEPSY [April 19, 



All the available facts point toward the conclusion that the vari- 

 ous common types of epileptics seen in institutions lack some element 

 necessary for complete mental development, which is also true of 

 the feeble-minded. 



Two epileptic parents produce only defective offspring, when 

 both parents are either epileptic or feeble-minded, their offspring 

 are also defective, the defect taking the form of epilepsy, feeble- 

 mindedness or some other neuropathic condition. This is also true 

 of feeble-minded parents. 



In the light of our present knowledge, the results obtained from 

 the study of our data do not justify the classification of the reported 

 normal parents of epileptics as duplex. We are forced to the belief 

 that their germ plasm is simplex, and feel confident that more com- 

 plete data would show the taint in their ancestors. 



Our data seem to support the belief that alcohol is a cause of 

 defect, in that more children of alcoholic parents are defective than 

 where alcoholism is not a factor. 



That there are more than five times as many epileptics as feeble- 

 minded persons in those fraternities coming from matings where 

 neither parent can be classed as normal, or called mentally defective, 

 seems to indicate that neurotic and otherwise tainted conditions are 

 more closely related to epilepsy than to feeble-mindedness. 



New Jersey State Village for Epileptics, 

 Skillman, N. J. 



