THE LAWS OF HEREDITY 



BREEDING FOE GENIUS 



There is, however, another aspect of the sub- 

 ject of cousin marriages that must not be over- 

 looked in the present connection. It is true that 

 such unions involve the danger of accentuating 

 strains of nervous instability in the family 

 through combination ; but it is also true that there 

 is the possibility of accentuating nervous and 

 mental characteristics that underlie genius itself. 



In point of fact, the old tradition about the 

 affinity between genius and insanity is not alto- 

 gether without foundation. Men of the very 

 highest type of genius, to be sure, are eminently 

 sane; yet it would appear that there are certain 

 attributes of sensitiveness of nervous organiza- 

 tion, tendency to egoism, and almost preter- 

 natural energy that may occur from time to time 

 in a family and may in some instances be com- 

 bined in such a way as to produce genius, while 

 in other instances they induce insanity. 



To advocate the marriage of cousins in a fam- 

 ily characterized by exceptional qualities of brain 

 would, therefore, be in a sense hazardous, yet it 

 might result directly in the production of men 

 of genius. 



A very good illustration of the possibility of 

 producing a fraternity of exceptional individuals 

 through the union of cousins who are themselves 

 exceptional is furnished by the pedigree of Fred- 

 erick the Great. In point of fact, this pedigree 

 furnishes a striking illustration of close inbreed- 



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