798 REPORT— 1893. 



FEIDA Y, SEPTEMBER 15. 



The following Papers and Eeport were read: — 



1. On the Physico-cJiemical and Vitalisttc Theories of Life. 

 By J. S. Haldane. 



2. On the Effect of the Stimulation of the Vacjus Nerve on the Disengagement 

 of Gases in the Swimming -bladder of Fishes. By Dr. Christian Bohr. 



3. On Malformation from Pre-natal Influence on the Mother. 

 By Alfred R. Wallace, P.G.L., F.B.S. 



In a letter to ' Nature ' (August 24) on ' Pre-natal Influences on Character,' I 

 stated — rather hastily, as it now appears — that physiologists rejected the notion of 

 physical peculiarities being thus caused, both on account of the total absence of 

 trustworthy evidence and also on theoretical grounds. In the article ' Deformities ' 

 in the new edition of * Chambers's Encyclopaedia ' (by Professor A. Hare) I find the 

 following statement : — ' In an increasing proportion of cases which are carefully 

 investigated it appears that maternal impressions, the result of shock or unpleasant 

 experiences, may have a considerable influence in producing deformities in the 

 ofispring. This has long been a popular theory, and it is one that recent scientific 

 observation is tending to confirm.' 



In consequence of my letter in ' Nature ' several alleged cases of the kind above 

 referred to have been sent me, one of which, being illustrated by a photograph and 

 attested by a perfectly competent observer, will, I think, interest all biologists. 

 The account was sent me by Dr. Richard Budd, M.D., F.R.C.P., Physician to the 

 North Devon Infirmary. The following is a copy of his statement: — 



' In the year 18G1 a gamekeeper named Croucher was admitted to the North 

 Devon Infirmary in consequence of a gunshot wound of the right forearm. The 

 arm was amputated just below the elbow. Croucher left the infirmary before the 

 wound was quite healed, in the belief that his wife would be able to dress it. In 

 this lie was mistaken ; but a young woman, the wife of a neighbouring farmer, 

 volunteered her services, and continued to dress the wound till it was healed. 

 Some six or seven months after this young woman was confined, and her child was 

 born minus the right forearm, and the stump was a facsimile of Croucher's. The 

 gamekeeper's arm became somewhat wasted by the pressure induced by an artificial 

 arm, and therefore the resemblance of the two arms (in the photograph taken some 

 years later) is not so exact as it was at first. The photographs were taken by 

 me. 



' (Signed) Richaed Budd, M.D., F.E.G.P., 



• Physician to the North Devon Infirmary. 

 ' Barnstaple : September 4, 1893.' 



In a letter Dr. Budd adds : * With regard to the Croucher case, I am not aware 

 that the facts have been published in any of the medical periodicals, but I exhibited 

 and explained the photographs at a grand meeting at the College of Physicians (in 

 November 1876), when most of the celebrated physicians of the world were present, 

 and they created the deepest interest.' 



1 presume that the birth of a child with an arm exactly resembling that in the 

 photograph is an exceedingly rare occurrence in England, and that the probability 

 of one being thus born in the same place where there was a man with a similar 

 arm is exceedingly slight. When we add to this the further improbability of such 

 a child being born within nine months after the accident, and the mother being the 



