2U'j 



The Journal of Heredity 



shouldt-rcd. often in two parts, licrry 

 very small, nsnally less than one-(|uar- 

 ter inch in diameter, "(lohose. color pur- 

 I)le hlack with whitish bloom, surface 

 smooth; skin thin, tender; flesh pearly 

 white, soft, juicy, seedless. h'lavor 

 rich, verv sweet and characteristic of 



llu- currant j^n-apes. Relatively high in 

 saccharine and acid. Excellent in qual- 

 itv both as fresh fruit and dried. 

 Kipens from July 15 to August 15. 

 L'sually produces a small second ci^op 

 of small loose clusters, of larger seeded 

 berries. 



Laboratory Methods Needed in Handling Defectives 



Although the fact that mental de- 

 fectives present a serious prol)lem is 

 now generally recognized, the state- 

 ment by Dr. Wm. J. Hickson that a 

 group of mental defectives represent- 

 ing feeblemindedness, jjsychopathy or 

 both which aj^^regates but two per cent 

 of our ]X)]xilation keeps the other 

 group of 9H^"c busy c:iring for it, 

 crystallizes the matter in a more serious 

 light than many of the 98% realize. 

 Social service work is receiving more 

 and more approval and today preven- 

 tion is recognized as a most vital ]iart 

 of the work. It is hence necessarx- 

 that laboratory methods be used in 

 I)sychiatry, and that vital cjuestions be 

 decided by expert medico-sociologists 

 and not left to passions, i)rejudice, 

 near knowledge or ignorance. Arti- 

 ficial laws will have to give wa\' to 

 natural laws in dealing with the defec- 

 tive as raiMctly as the latter arc dis- 

 covered, and it is only by laboratorv 

 investigation rejjlacing hit-or-miss guess- 

 work that a solid scientific h)asis can be 

 built up for future legislation. 



Although environment lias an un- 

 v'luestioned influence in molding the in- 

 dividual, there seems to be little doubt 

 that it is extrinsic, while heredity is in- 

 trinsic. Daily cxj^erience teaches how 

 numerous are those rising above their 

 environment as compared with those 

 sinking below it. After a psychopath- 

 ologist has examined a case he can very 

 closely ap]3roximate not only the family 

 history, but also the past and future 

 histor\' of the case and what the progeny 

 may be. In many cases where environ- 

 ment would seem to be the sole con- 

 trilmting cause to defection, it will be 

 found that it is the inherently defective 

 constitution of the 2% which has given 

 wav. It is an interesting fact that but 

 2% of those contracting syi)liilis dc- 

 velo]) ])arasyphilitic diseases such as 

 tabes dorsalis and paresis. Laboratory 

 methods and investigation may 0])cn 

 ways of ])roviding for those of inhe- 

 rently defective constitution, but hered- 

 ity may well be called the hereditary 

 enemv of metlicine. 



Effect of War on School Enrollment 



Enrollment in American public 

 schools has been alTjcted by the war, 

 but not to the extent of making it less 

 than last year, according to figures 

 compiled by the Department of the 

 Jnterif)r through the Bureau of li^duca- 

 tion. Figures from 1,411 cities and C% 

 counties or districts show an increase of 

 close to the nr)rmal atnount of 23^% in 

 elementary schools. In high schools, 

 however, the increase is onlv one- 

 fourth of the usual ^Wo. 



Such increase as then; is in high schiol 

 enrrdlment is caused by the girl stu- 

 dents. Fewer b^ys are enrolled this 

 year in every class in high scho il ex- 



cept the fourth; aj^parentlx- llierc is a 

 healthy tendency for boys in the senior 

 year to remain and graduate. 



In city elementary schools the in- 

 c-rease in enrv)llment is actually some- 

 what al);)ve normal; but in city high 

 schools there is a marked falling ofi", 

 es])2cially among the boys. 



Country schools show some gains 

 over last year b)th in elementary and 

 high sclr).')l enrollment, l)ut not as 

 great as would b^ expected under 

 nf)rmal conditions. Rural high schools 

 show increases for b.)lh boys and girls. 

 di'^pitc the war. 



