64 MARRIAGE AND DISEASE. 



of her family : Great grandmother, maternal side, had 

 nine children at three births, triplets each time. Grand- 

 mother had seven children, triplets once, twins twice. 

 Her mother had twelve children, once triplets, twice 

 twins, five single births. Her mother's sister had 

 seven children, triplets once, four single births. Her 

 mother and her aunt married two brothers. Her 

 mother had two brothers who married; neither had 

 children. Mrs. M. B. has had sixteen children, triplets 

 twice, ten single births. She has seven girls living. 

 Eldest daughter aged twenty-five, married, has four 

 children, one triplet, one single birth. Second daughter 

 married September 1889, pregnant. She states that 

 she herself is one of a twin, and her mother also. Her 

 family seems to be well known in the village whence 

 she comes as the ' triplet and twin family.' Her 

 maternal great-aunt, aged ninety, single, is still living, 

 who declares that her grandmother told her that her 

 grandmother informed her triplets were in the family 

 as far back as any record could be obtained." 



Another example of prepotency of a physiological 

 character is the oft-cited case of the reigning family of 

 Austria, in which a markedly peculiar facial character 

 the Hapsburg lip has been transmitted with marvel- 

 lous certainty through a great number of generations, 

 apparently too firmly fixed to be eradicated or even 

 modified by the infusion of fresh blood which occurs 

 with almost each generation. In this case the peculiar 

 character doubtless arose from some accidental cir- 

 cumstances, and by unpremeditated selection became 



