RHEUMATISM. 231 



of family degeneration as infantile convulsions, suicide, 

 epilepsy, cancer, consumption, and insanity are allied, 

 and often spring from a common stem. In the follow- 

 ing family history also that of a patient of my own 

 we shall see that rheumatism is no exception to the 

 rule that all family degenerations are transmutable, 

 the form the disease assumes in the individual only 

 proclaiming the organs or tissues which the family 

 blight has specialty attacked in each particular case. 

 Of course the tendency, more or less strong in all 

 cases, is to reproduce in the offspring the particular 

 blemish of the parent, and we have seen that in some 

 cases, as in the suicidal impulse, the identical abnor- 

 mality is often transmitted ; but to admit hereditary 

 influence only in such cases as this occurs, is to miss 

 the whole lesson taught by heredity. 



J. G. A.'s FAMILY HISTORY. 



Paternal Side. Maternal Side. 



First /Grandfather, a drunkard. Grandmother, " odd " 



generation. \ Grandmother, normal. Grandfather, normal. 



; Uncle, a drunkard. Uncle, epileptic. 



Uncle, a drunkard. Uncle, rheumatic. Totally crippled, 



Uncle, an epileptic. and has daughter in same con- 



Father, excitable and irritable. dition. 

 Uncle, rheumatic. 

 Aunt, rheumatic. 

 Mother, died in asylum. 



/Daughter, has had rheumatism and has heart disease. 

 I Son, is now insane. 



Third J Son, died a few days old of convulsions, 

 generation. \ Son, now a chronic maniac in an asylum. 



| Daughter, a suicidal melancholiac, died in asylum ; no issue. 

 V Family dies with above stock. 



In the above stock we have on the paternal side 

 the drunkenness of the grandfather transmitted un- 



