208 KENNEL SECRETS. 



band can influence the length of his wife's nose, the color 

 of her eyes, or in any lesser way influence her tissues and 

 cells with the impress of his own through the medium of 

 the child in utero. Nor does this run counter to the fact 

 that a husband can transmit to his wife a grave disease of 

 the blood through the medium of the child /;/ jitero, for in 

 such case there is a destructive virus or germ to be trans- 

 mitted. 



But the theories are not the points of interest in this 

 subject, and the one to be emphasized is, that infinitely 

 many people labor under the absurd impression that a 

 victim of misalliance is practically ruined for breeding 

 purposes, and in consequence no small number of unfor- 

 tunates are sacrificed yearly. 



All this is certainly surprising in face of the fact that 

 the influence of the previous sire is rarely felt. Indeed, 

 Mr. William Wade of Hulton, Pa., a well-known breeder 

 as well as close and highly intelligent observer, has care- 

 fully investigated over fifty cases of misalliance and found 

 after-effects in no more than three. And it is safe to 

 say that this is not near the actual proportion, for only 

 instances of occurrence are likely to be remembered. 



It ought not to be necessary, therefore, to urge that a 

 victim of misalliance should not be killed merely because 

 of this accident, nor even considered in the slightest 

 degree of less value for breeding purposes. She should 

 be treated precisely as she would have been treated had 

 it not happened ; and all subsequent litters that show no 

 taint can without any impropriety be credited to their 

 sires. 



That high health and vigor are essentials of infinite 

 importance in the dog used for breeding purposes is a fact 

 that may properly be repeated for the sake of emphasis. 



As already stated in substance, chronic diseases and 



