Art and Science 



is, in my opinion, open to discussion. In 

 these cases we have to do with the apparent 

 transmission of artificially produced malforma- 

 tions. . . . All these effects were said to be 

 transmitted to descendants as far as the fifth 

 or sixth generation. 



" But we must inquire whether these cases 

 are really due to heredity, and not to simple 

 infection. In the case of epilepsy, at any rate, 

 it is easy to imagine that the passage of some 

 specific organism through the reproductive 

 cells may take place, as in the case of syphilis. 

 We are, however, entirely ignorant of the 

 nature of the former disease. This suggested 

 explanation may not perhaps apply to the other 

 cases ; but we must remember that animals 

 which have been subjected to such severe 

 operations upon the nervous system have 

 sustained a great shock, and if they are 

 capable of breeding, it is only probable that 

 they will produce weak descendants, and such 

 as are easily affected by disease. Such a 

 result does not, however, explain why the 

 offspring should suffer from the same disease 

 as that which was artificially induced in the 



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