WHAT WE MIGHT EXPECT. 195 



acquired actions, and tricks acquired before the time 

 when the offspring has issued from the body of the 

 parent, or on an average of many generations does so ; 

 but it cannot for a moment be supposed that the off- 

 spring knows by inheritance anything about what 

 happens to the parent subsequently to the offspring's 

 being born. Hence the appearance of diseases in the 

 offspring, at comparatively late periods in life, but at 

 the same age as, or earlier, than in the parents, must 

 be regarded as due to the fact that in each case the 

 machine having been made after the same pattern 

 (which is due to memory), is liable to have the same 

 weak points, and to break down after a similar amount 

 of wear and tear ; but after less wear and tear in the 

 case of the offspring than in that of the parent, because 

 a diseased organism is commonly a deteriorating organ- 

 ism, and if repeated at all closely, and without repent- 

 ance and amendment of life, will be repeated for the 

 worse. If we do not improve, we grow worse. This, 

 at least, is what we observe daily. 



Nor again can we believe, as some have fancifully 

 imagined, that the remembrance of any occurrence of 

 which the effect has been entirely, or almost entirely 

 mental, should be remembered by offspring with any 

 definiteness. The intellect of the offspring might be 

 affected, for better or worse, by the general nature of 

 the intellectual employment of the parent ; or a great 

 shock to a parent might destroy or weaken the intellect 

 of the offspring; but unless a deep impression were 

 made upon the cells of the body, and deepened by sub- 

 sequent disease, we could not expect it to be remem- 



