CHAPTER XV. 



MATERNAL IMPRESSIONS. 



MATERNAL IMPRESSIONS Or, the law whereby 

 the physical conditions and mental states of the 

 mother during gestation her impulses, emo- 

 tions, joys, sorrows, thoughts and sentiments 

 make their impression upon the forming body, Evolutionary 

 plastic brain and sensitive soul of her offspring. Heredity. 



"Evolutionary heredity is the transmission of 

 physical or moral characteristics to the foetus dur- 

 ing its development by some extraneous mental 

 or physical impressions acting upon the mother." 

 Foster's Medical Encyclopaedia. 



Prenatal culture through maternal impressions 

 is considered by most authorities the most effect- 

 ual means of transmitting acquired characters. Dr. 

 Fordyce Barker says, "The weight of authority 

 must be conceded to be in favor of the idea that 

 maternal impressions may affect the growth, form 

 and character of a forming child." Dr. Talcot, 

 surgeon of the Woman's Hospital, of New York, 

 in referring to this subject, remarks, "I must say 

 that I always had considerable skepticism as to 

 maternal impressions, and it arose from my ignor- 

 ance of the subject. If sudden fright will produce 

 malformations, why will not fits of anger or de- 

 pression also affect the prospective child?" 

 Rokitansky declares, "The question whether men- 



