70 



the tumor was found to contain a second child, or at least additional fetal 

 parts. The mother then related that while she was pregnant she had ii 

 goose which hrought forth her goslings and among the number was a 

 double one. This double gosling she gave to her child of four years to 

 play with but presently the sight of it became hateful to her and she was 

 forced to dispatch it. Now while the maternal impressionist must explain 

 wliat the goose saw; my pseudohypotiiosis of fetal impression can explain 

 why the double gosling became hateful to the mother very readily. 



I would therefore close this brief paper by repeating: The doctrine 

 of maternal impression has four strong factors, its anticpilty; its ubiquity; 

 its iniquity and its unquestit>nable lack in proof. After all, the human 

 being is more superstitious than he will openly admit, and iHM-liaps P. T. 

 Barnum, who capitalized credulity, should be accounted some word of au- 

 thority in Ills statement "The pul)lic likes to be humbugged." 



