i8o 



PRENATAL CULTURE. 



Opposing Evil 

 Tendencies. 



Unfavorable 

 Combinations* 



The Training 

 Required* 



powers in either parent that might affect the off- 

 spring, special training should be directed to over- 

 come them. For instance, if there has been drun- 

 kenness in the grandparents on one or both sides, 

 the prospective parents should be temperate, 

 abstain from all narcotics, and cultivate a mental 

 state of opposition to intemperance. In like man- 

 ner, dishonesty, cruelty, profligacy, licentious- 

 ness or any other undesirable trait that is known 

 to have been manifest in the lives of the imme- 

 diate ancestors should be guarded against by a 

 systematic training in the opposite direction. 



When any mental or moral power is very strong 

 or very weak in both parents it is apt to be greatly 

 exaggerated in their offspring; therefore, special 

 training should be directed to overcome or coun- 

 teract this tendency. To illustrate : suppose both 

 parents are firm and positive yet not so much so 

 as to make it a great fault in either ; if these quali- 

 ties are kept active by continual opposition, the off- 

 spring are apt to be abnormally willful and stub- 

 born. Whereas, if both parents avoid opposition 

 or contention and cultivate a more yielding, pass- 

 ive spirit; the offspring may have even less firm- 

 ness and obstinacy than either parent. 



In each individual the various powers of mind 

 exist in different degrees of strength, so that in 

 prenatal training, both in parental preparation and 

 during gestation, some qualities require far more 

 training than others. Those that are very weak 

 in either parent, should be assiduously cultivated ; 

 those moderately strong, require less training; 

 while powers that are very strong, may even need 

 restraining. The object is to establish a harmon- 



