INSANITY AND ALCOHOLISM. 77 



coincidence. That this is a coincidence, and that the 

 production of the imbecile children had no necessary 

 connection with the drunken habits of the parent will 

 seem to us very probable when we reflect that in the 

 Scottish Lowlands, large English towns, and in parts 

 of Germany, habitual heavy drinking is exceedingly 

 common ; therefore, did such startling cases of trans- 

 mission occur, they would occur frequently, and be 

 matter of common observation and comment While 

 refusing to accept this case in evidence, it is still 

 probable on general grounds that the offspring of 

 habitual drunkards suffer hereditarily, but definite 

 evidence on this score appears still to be wanting. 



Preventive Measures. 



This leads us to the question as to whether or not 

 legislation with a view to prevent the sale of alcohol 

 would further or retard race progress. Experiments 

 of this kind have been, and are being tried notably 

 in Scandinavia and the United States ; and there are 

 those who strongly advocate preventive legislation in 

 our own country. 



But has this enforced diminution of one particular 

 form of vice given us any guarantee as to immunity 

 from the other forms into which the habitual drunkard 

 may develop ? That preventive measures have dimin- 

 ished drunkenness cannot for a moment be denied, 



