HOMICIDE AND SUICIDE. 289 



cruel, heartless laugh peculiar to the moral im- 

 becile or born criminal. 



The mother informed me that she had been a 

 society woman up to the time of her marriage. 

 Her husband being a traveling salesman, she was 

 accustomed to go much into society during his 

 absence. Maternity was undesired. When it Undesired 

 was forced upon her she felt she was being robbed Maternity, 

 of her former social freedom and turned bitterly 

 against her husband for the supposed imposition. 

 She repeatedly attempted to destroy the unwel- 

 come child. She said she despised it and at times 

 felt so angry at its father that she could have 

 killed him. As there was neither chronic alco- 

 holism nor morbid heredity in either parent, this 

 would-be parricide was undoubtedly the product 

 of maternal impressions. 



A most excellent young married couple, both of 

 whom were from good families, were greatly put 

 out when they found they were to be parents. 

 The young wife was so vexed that she did her 

 best to destroy the foetus. She railed at her 

 husband and frequently entertained morose, mur- A Mother Made 

 derous desires during gestation with the result Criminal, 

 that her little boy manifested a disposition quite 

 unlike the character natural to both parents. He 

 had an ungovernable temper, would turn almost 

 black in the face with anger and swear at his 

 parents, threatening to cut them to pieces. When 

 angry at his playmates he would mumble over 

 the most cruel oaths, grit his teeth and declare 

 he would kill them. He came near killing two 

 children before he .was seven years old and at 

 eight deliberately planned to murder his little 



