220 



Heredity and Environment 



alcohol throughout the greater part of life. Elderton and Pear- 

 son made a mathematical study of children, approximately nine 

 years old, from temperate and from intemperate parents and they 

 concluded that parental alcoholism had practically no effect upon 

 them. However, the more serious the injury to germ cells the 

 sooner they die and it may be that children that survive for 

 nine years come from germ cells that were least injured, while 

 those that were more seriously injured produce individuals that 

 died before or shortly after birth. 



FIG. 74. DWARFED GUINEA-PIGS ON THE LEFT AND NORMAL ONES ON THE 

 RIGHT. All are of approximately the same age though the normal ones 

 are nearly twice the weight of the dwarfs. The normals came from nor- 

 mal parents, the dwarfs from a normal mother and an alcoholic father; 

 the dwarfing has therefore been produced by the influence of alcohol on 

 the spermatozoa. (From Stockard.) 



