252 



PRENATAL CULTURE. 



Physical 

 Evidences. 



Birth Marks a 

 Fact. 



Dr. Fearn's 

 Opinions. 



the law as above stated seems beyond contradic- 

 tion. 



Notwithstanding the unanimous testimony of 

 all who have made personal observations, and the 

 presence of thousands of physical and mental de- 

 formities arising from abnormal impressions, 

 there are still those high in authority who deny 

 that birth-marks are the product of maternal im- 

 pressions; also that it is possible for the mother 

 to in any way influence her offspring during em- 

 bryonic development. 



That birth-marks are rare is fortunately true. 

 That they are seldom produced, except by ex- 

 tremely susceptible mothers, is equally true, but 

 that the mother's mentality does affect the off- 

 spring and may occasionally produce deformities, 

 is a fact that cannot be contradicted by any num- 

 ber of theorists. 



The physical theory of heredity and evolution 

 does not admit of sudden changes and altera- 

 tions in the anatomy from purely psychic causes. 

 Those who -are still bound to this theory are loath 

 to accept even the most unquestionable evidence. 

 For instance, Dr. Fearn, in commenting upon a. 

 case in which a mother was said to have been 

 greatly shocked by witnessing the removal of one 

 of the bones (metacarpal) from her husband's 

 hand, and afterward giving birth to a child with 

 the corresponding bone missing, says : "If this 

 report is true, our ideas of the formation and 

 dissolution of parts of the skeleton must be mate- 

 rially changed. We must believe either that the 

 metacarpal bones are formed just before birth, 

 after all the rest of the skeleton, or else that bones 



