474 



GENERATION. 



impregnation influences the product of a sub- 

 sequent one, in breeding any particular stock 

 of animals, it would appear of importance that 

 the female should always breed with well qua- 

 lified males ; and farther, that the genealogy of 

 both parents for one step, if not more, back- 

 wards, ought to enter as an item into the cal- 

 culation of the probable qualifications of the 

 offspring. 



Much information is, however, still wanting 

 on this subject, which, as it involves the most 

 obscure parts of the generative process, we can 

 hardly expect ever to be able to fathom. It 

 cannot but be a matter of wonder and extreme 

 interest to inquire how, in the unformed germi- 

 nal spot of the egg of the female at the moment 

 when it receives the vital fecundating influence 

 of the male semen, the disposition to the forma- 

 tion of those minute modifications of structure 

 and function which constitute hereditary re- 

 semblances is capable of being retained and 

 transmitted to the future offspring. 



The celebrated Darwin and some other fan- 

 ciful speculators on physiological subjects held 

 an opinion* that the transitory state of the 

 minds of the father or mother at the instant of 

 conception has a marked influence on the men- 

 tal and physical qualities of the offspring. 

 Thus it has been alleged that children begotten 

 after debauchery or drunkenness are liable to 

 idiocy or weakness both of mind and body ; 

 that when the amorous propensities are too 

 much excited, the offspring runs the risk of 

 erring in the same way ; and in short, that ac- 

 cording to the predominance of one or other 

 sentiment, propensity, or frame of mind, the 

 offspring may be a genius or a dolt, a sentimen- 

 tal swain or an unfeeling brute, a thief, a rob- 

 ber, a murderer, &c. Leaving to others the 

 proof or disproof of the alleged facts upon which 

 the above-mentioned belief is founded, we 

 would take the liberty of expressing our doubts 

 as to whether at the particular time alluded to 

 by these theorists any idea but one is usually 

 predominant. Nor shall we here dwell upon 

 the obvious local treatment which is applicable 

 upon the phrenological view of the subject; 

 but as few may be aware of the real importance 

 of that critical period in which life is conferred 

 upon a new being, we have thought it right to 

 put our married readers at least upon their 

 guard against unrestrained yielding to any of 

 the baser feelings or ideas, which do creep into 

 the best-regulated establishments, requesting at 

 the same time that they will communicate to 

 their partners such information as may be con- 

 sidered necessary for the attainment of the grand 

 object in view, viz. the improvement of the po- 

 pulation of this kingdom. 



The belief now stated as regards the human 

 species has also been applied to animals, and 

 that either parent may thus influence the off- 

 spring. Thus it is asserted that the male race- 

 horse when excited by running, if not fatigued, 

 is in the best condition for communicating speed 

 to his offspring. Again, it is related that at 



* More recently adopted by Mr. Combe, of Edin- 

 burgh, in his Work on the Constitution of Man. 



the time when a stallion was about to cover a 

 mare, the stallion's pale colour was objected to, 

 whereupon the groom, knowing in the effect 

 of colour upon horses' imaginations, presented 

 before the stallion a mare of a pleasing colour, 

 which had the desired effect of determining a 

 dark colour in the offspring. This is said to 

 have been repeated with success in the same 

 horse more than once. As a similar case, the 

 influence acting through the mother, it is related 

 that a cow belonging to a farmer of Angus, in 

 Scotland, had been grazing in company with 

 an horned ox of a black and white colour for 

 some time before it came into heat. The bull 

 which impregnated the cow had no horns, and 

 differed totally from the ox in colour, as did 

 also the cow itself; and yet, wonderful to 

 ralate, the next calf was black and white, and 

 had horns. 



These stories lead us to the consideration of a 

 host of extraordinary relations, from which the 

 general conclusion has been drawn, by no very 

 logical process of induction, that the imagina- 

 tion of the female parent is capable of exerting 

 a powerful influence on the structure and qua- 

 lities of the offspring either at the moment of 

 conception or during part of the period of utero- 

 gestation. 



The effects of the mother's imagination upon 

 the child are so various that we cannot hope to 

 be able to reduce them to any general or com- 

 plete enumeration. Those which have attracted 

 the greatest share of attention are of the nature 

 of blemishes, spots, wounds, deficient and re- 

 dundant parts, in short, all unnatural or so- 

 called monstrous formations of the child. 

 The alleged causes of these unnatural for- 

 mations include all those circumstances which 

 powerfully excite the moral faculties, the 

 fancy, desires, or passions of the mother ; 

 sudden surprise, fear, anger, horror or disgust 

 on her being a witness of any unusual or 

 frightful event or object, or the opposite pas- 

 sions of joy, pleasure, admiration, &c. as 

 well as strong longings, desires, and appe- 

 tites, whether satisfied or not. The influence 

 of the mother's imagination upon the child 

 is not confined in its effects to bodily disfigu- 

 ration or change, however, for those who carry 

 their belief its whole length hold that the mind 

 of the child may also be similarly modified. 

 Thus it is stated that the ambition, courage, and 

 military skill of Napoleon Bonaparte had their 

 foundation in the circumstance that the empe- 

 ror's mother followed her husband in his cam- 

 paigns, and was subjected to all the dangers of 

 a military life ; while, on the other hand, the 

 murder of David Rizzio in the presence of 

 Queen Mary was the death-blow to the personal 

 courage of King James, and occasioned that 

 strong dislike of edged weapons for which that 

 crafty and pedantic monarch was said to be re- 

 markable. 



We can readily believe that all sudden 

 or violent changes in the functions of the mo- 

 ther, derangements of the general circulation, 

 nervous affections, and other circumstances 

 which tend to disturb the uterine function, 

 must cause or be liable to occasion injury to 



