On Idioltism. ' 93 
of an endemic idiotism, he even states that the 
goitrous tumour is compatible with the highest 
health in other respects. Again, if the exist- 
ence of goitre in father or mother leads to a 
progeny possessing a defective intellect, the 
effect should be constant, and the whole pro- 
geny should be thus affected; but this is not 
the case, for we are told by Coxe, (a) that they 
are sometimes the offspring of healthy parents, 
whose other children are properly organized, 
and who are themselves free from guttural 
swellings. I know several goitrous females, 
married, whose progeny are properly organ- 
ized and intelligent, and I also know two 
goitrousmales, married, whose families are of 
sound mind. 
Ifthen numerous cases of idiotism occur 
without goitre, and goitre without idoitism ; 
if goitrous individuals produce a progeny hav- 
ing sound intellect, and if idiots are frequently 
the progeny of parties not idiotic or goitrous, 
as in the endemic before us, it must be allow- 
ed that the alleged connexion betwixt these 
(a) Travels in Switzerland, Vol, 1. p. 430. 
See also Saussure. Tour 2, Chap. 48. § 1031. Tl paroit que 
e’est surtout dans l’enfance, dans cet Age ou la fibre est tendre et flexible, 
que se détermine cette maladie ; car ceux qui en ont été exempts jusqu’a 
leur huit ou dixieme année, le sont également pour toute la vie. Les étran- 
gers qui viennent s’etablir dans le pays ne la prennent jamais, mais 
Jeurs e nfans y sont sujets comme ceux des indigenes, 
