218 PRENATAL CULTURE. 



History contains many very striking illustra- 

 tions of the power of maternal impressions to 



mold the character of the child - According to 

 Lombroso, "Cicero, Cuvier, Goethe, Cowper, Na- 

 poleon, Cromwell, Scott, Byron, Gray, Swift and 

 Wellington are thought to have inherited their 

 genius from their mothers." The genius of Na- 

 poleon I. seems to have been particularly the prod- 

 uct of prenatal influences. History tells us that 

 his mother for some time prior to his birth shared 

 the fortunes of war with her husband, on horse- 

 back most of the time, acquiring active and health- 

 inspiring habits. During this period she was in 

 constant peril and danger, not only surrounded 

 with, but intensely engaged in, all the pomp and 

 circumstance of war; and in this way not only 

 became familiar with the horrors and anguish of 

 f war, but also became reconciled to it and in a 

 natal Training" measure enjoyed it. That Napoleon Bonaparte 

 manifested a character quite unlike his ancestors 

 is well known to all, and it is not too much to say 

 that his early love of power, and his tendency 

 toward a military career, as well as the superior 

 generalship displayed later, were due largely to 

 these prenatal influences. 



Col. William F. Cody ("Buffalo Bill") whose 

 unique career as pony express messenger, Govern- 

 ment scout, Indian fighter, Buffalo hunter and 

 "Buffalo Bill's" Wild- West Showman is well known, strongly 

 Heredity. resembled his mother. He was born during the 



troublesome days of Missouri, and his mother was 

 called upon to emphasize those elements of daunt- 

 less courage and self control so strongly mani- 

 fested in her son. His early frontier life, the as- 



