22 HEREDITY. 



several thousand persons, including some five 

 thousand convicts, over one thousand homicides, 

 and nearly two thousand epileptics, feeble minded 

 and insane patients. I have also made a careful 

 study of a great number of children and com- 

 pared their hereditary tendencies with those of 

 their parents and the existing parental states prior 

 to the birth of each child. Many of these little 

 folks were exceptionally well born; others were 

 the product of outraged nature and manifested 

 vicious or criminal tendencies before the age of 

 ten. In hundreds of instances I have been able 

 to get from the parents, or family physician, a 

 detailed account of the prenatal conditions under 

 which the child was born. 



Many thoughtful parents have studied and ap- 

 plied heredity with excellent results. A number 



Studies in Pre- have told me the story of a beautiful maternity, 

 natal Culture. , ^ , , J . 



and the careful ante-natal training given to their 



superior child. Others who had willfully or ig- 

 norantly committed vicious or criminal acts prior 

 to the birth of their unfortunate children have 

 confessed their mistakes, thereby giving me a 

 splendid opportunity for studying the effects of 

 both good and evil prenatal influences. Again, 

 speaking on this subject almost every week for 

 twelve years to large, cultured audiences, at the 

 Chautauquas and in the principal cities through- 

 out the country, has subjected my thought to the 

 most varied and liberal criticism and enabled me 

 to gather much valuable data, otherwise unob- 

 tainable. 



In addition to my own observations I have, 

 with the aid of my assistants, reviewed every meri- 



