284 



GENETICS AND EUGENICS 



The practical conclusion is obvious : insane persons should 

 not be permitted to marry; indeed legislation forbids this in 

 most countries. Further it would be well to avoid marriage 

 into families in which insanity is common. It need not be 

 assumed, however, that every person who has had an insane 

 relative is an unfit mate. For such a conclusion, if enforced, 

 would soon bring human breeding to a standstill. 



Epilepsy. As regards the inheritance of epilepsy and 

 feeble-mindedness the evidence is much clearer. By epilepsy 



TABLE 36 



Epilepsy and Feeble-Mindedness in Epileptic Families 



{Davenport and Weeks) 



* One " nem'otic." 



we understand such nervous troubles as manifest themselves 

 in the simplest cases in momentary loss of consciousness, and 

 in extreme cases in marked convulsions. Much so-called 

 epilepsy is probably due to infection with syphilis, congenital 

 or otherwise, in which case its inheritance would be apparent 

 only. 



But if we leave out of account this possible complication, 

 the inheritance seems to be that of a simple recessive Men- 

 delian character. Davenport and Weeks (Eugenics Record 

 Office, Bull. No. 4) have tabulated records concerning in- 

 mates of the New Jersey State Village for Epileptics at Skill- 

 man, N. J., which show one case, in which, both parents 

 being epileptic, their three children were epileptic also. In 

 ^Ye matings between an epileptic and a feeble-minded person 

 fourteen children were produced, eight epileptic and six 



I 



