PAPERS OX PSYCHOLOGY AND EDUCATION 501 



have served terms in the penitentiary for mail robbeiy 

 and burglaiy. One daughter married a negro and has 

 given birth to four children, three of whom are feeble- 

 minded or worse. At least two of the daughters were 

 common prostitutes. Little wonder that she railed at 

 her family and blamed her husband for her troubles. 

 It is quite clear, however, that the bad blood came from 

 her own family, since her husband's family was free 

 from any of the traits appearing in her offspring. 



All the children in the family showed symptoms of de- 

 generacy similar to that found in their grandmother's 

 stock. Not one showed the virile traits of excellent ca- 

 pacity so prevalent in the father himself and his whole 

 family. In this marriage all the factors of reproduction 

 seemed to bring together and emphasize the unsocial 

 qualities latent in the grandmother. 



The diagram illustrates more fully the degeneracy of 

 the whole group. The mother stated to the writer that 

 her children among themselves committed practically 

 every social irregularity known, including adultery, in- 

 cest, pander, masturbation, theft, vulgarity, obscenity, 

 etc. She talked about their unsocial disorders with 

 great freedom, but with deep emotion. 



The eldest son, Xo. 2 in Chart III, in the family for 

 many years showed no signs of degeneracy. During 

 his youth and adolescence he was self respectable, digni- 

 fied, studious, and energetic. He Avas somewhat ad- 

 dicted to intoxicants, though not to excess. He married 

 at twenty-four a woman of fine family, and consideralile 

 wealth. At aliout forty the degenerate traits of his 

 mother's family began to show themselves. He was 

 found guilty of sexual perverseness, was accused of fi- 

 nancial irregiilarities in a county office, though not con- 

 victed because it was found that his guilt involved others 

 of the county ring. Weaknesses of various kinds over- 

 took him, including periodical melancholia, idleness, 

 viciousness in his home and drunkness. At the age of 

 fifty he had disgraced his wife and family in several 

 debauches with disreputable people, and finally commit- 

 ted a sexual crime for which he was sentenced to prison 

 for five years. A new trial brought in the insanity plea 



