i6o 



upon, or the taints of disease within their tissues or organs, 

 must be likewise transmitted as predispositions to the same. 

 When considering the physiological and psychological 

 aspects of heredity, in this series of papers, I think I 

 proved without a doubt that there was no element of man 

 either in his organism or in his dynamism that was not 

 subject to the law of heredity ; and if this is so it seems 

 to me but a natural consequence that with his organic or 

 dynamical peculiarities he should also transmit a predis- 

 position to the weakness or deficiency of his tissues or 

 organs produced by disease in himself, to become re- 

 developed in his children under circumstances favourable 

 for such development. 



With regard, however, to the diseases of the stomach 

 and intestines, of the pharynx and oesophagus, of the 

 peritoneum, of the spleen and pancreas, if heredity and varia- 

 bility necessitate the fact that these organs differ from each 

 other not only organically, but functionally in the cases of 

 different individuals, and that in no two individuals are 

 they precisely the same either in their organic potentialities 

 or functional peculiarities, it assuredly follows that they are 

 differently predisposed to organic and functional derange- 

 ments and diseases, and it is only fair to assume that here- 

 dity and variability are also responsible for this fact It is 

 at least safe to affirm that all the diathetic diseases 

 tubercle, scrofula, cancer, syphilis, gout, et hoc genus omne 

 are markedly hereditary, and that every organ and tissue 

 of the chylo-poietic viscera are subject to each and all of 

 these diseases admits of no doubt. Of other morbid con- 

 ditions of the chylo-poietic system which are frequently 

 inherited I may mention helminthiasis, haemorrhoids, dys- 

 pepsia, hernia, fcetor oris, and dropsy ; to these might be 



