SOME POSSIBLE BEARINGS OF GENETICS ON PATHOLOGY 33 



if variations may be induced in these ways, they fall into one or 

 another of the Mendelian moulds. This is for the geneticist to 

 determine, but he finds himself in a curious predicament, for it 

 can not be claimed that any of these three cases have been shown 

 to give a direct Mendelian result — but neither can it be denied 

 that they may possibly come under the scheme, or some modifica- 

 tion of it. There we must leave the matter at present. 



If I have appeared at times overcritical concerning' the applica- 

 tion of genetics to pathology, it is not because I do not sympathize 

 with the attempts that have been made to apply genetics to pa- 

 thology. I realize, of course, that from the nature of the case 

 much of this work is pioneer work, where rough and ready 

 methods have often to be resorted to. So long as this is kept in 

 view, no harm can be done in attempting to find how far Men- 

 del's principles can apply to heredity in man. But I want to 

 enter a protest against the danger of premature conclusions 

 drawn from insufficient evidence. In our enthusiasm in applying 

 Mendel's laws, we should be careful not to compromise them. 



