CHAPTER XVII. 



ABNORMAL IMPRESSIONS. 



ABNORMAL IMPRESSIONS Or, the law where- 

 by an unusual, or abnormal psychical disturbance 

 such as sudden shock, fright, grief, anxiety, 

 great excitement, intense longing, religious fer- 

 vor, extreme joy, mental or hypnotic suggestion 

 during gestation may in very susceptible moth- 

 ers produce physical or mental abnormalities in 

 the off spring. 



In this chapter I desire to consider briefly : ( i ) 

 the phenomena of birth-marks and abnormal im- 

 pressions; (2) their causes and prevention, and 

 ( 3 ) the limitation of such impressions as a perma- 

 nent element in character. I shall also offer some 

 suggestions in the line of experimental psychol- 

 ogy, for the improvement of offspring and the 

 more rapid evolution of the race. 



The fact that abnormal impressions result in 

 physical or mental deformities is very generally 

 admitted. Dr. Dabney, who has made an ex- 

 tensive study of this subject, reports some 97 

 well authenticated cases ; Prof. O. S. Fowler gives Birth Marks. 

 27 cases, while Mr. C. J. Bayer, in his work on 

 "Maternal Impressions," devotes several chapters 

 to this subject. The medical records of the coun- 

 try contain the accounts of hundreds of abnormali- 

 ties resulting from maternal impressions. Thus 



