838 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XLII. No. 1093 



may be a general constitutional and perma- 

 nent one, or it may be temporary (often more 

 or less periodic) due to abnormal internal 

 secretions or other causes. Here belong, 

 among otters, the byperkinetie, the hysterical 

 and epileptoid offenders. 



It would seem as though future progress in 

 an understanding of conduct would lie less in a 

 classification of people into the feeble-minded 

 and normal than in a study of the individual's 

 early training, mentality, social instincts and 

 inhibitions. 



2. The great body of the work (pp. 47 to 

 434) consists of the descriptions of 327 cases 

 of feeble-minded individuals, with the family 

 history as far as could be obtained. These are 

 grouped under the heads : hereditary, prob- 

 ably hereditary, neuropathic ancestry, acci- 

 dent, no assignable cause, and unclassified. 

 These pages contain many interesting and 

 significant details. 



3. In the third section dealing with 

 " causes," the author properly criticizes much 

 of the post hoc ergo propter hoc argumenta- 

 tion which is extremely widespread among 

 medical writers. Goddard's conclusion that 

 about 80 per cent, of the cases of feeble- 

 mindedness with which he deals are hereditary, 

 probably hereditary or neuropathic is inter- 

 esting; yet from the nature of the case so pre- 

 cise a figure based on materials that in their 

 nature are imprecise must be regarded as a 

 rough judgment and one of which too much 

 may readily be made. In this section is dis- 

 cussed the heredity of " feeble-mindedness " 

 and the conclusion is reached that normal 

 mentality is dominant over feeble-mindedness. 

 Goddard confesses to having been prejudiced 

 against the view " that the intelligence even 

 acts like a unit character. But there seems 

 to be no way to escape the conclusion." Now, 

 since feeble-mindedness is a social and not a 

 biological term, it would seem almost absurd 

 to seek to find a law of its inheritance. The 

 case seems to be this, a large proportion of 

 the feeble-minded are such because of general 

 failure of development of the intellectual 

 centers. A " general intelligence " there well 

 may be, as he concludes ; but that does not pre- 



vent the hypothesis of special talents (or their 

 lack) and special elements of self-control. 

 Thus, there may well be an hereditary basis 

 for many of the mental differences between 

 persons, whether " normal " or " feeble- 

 minded." 



4. The practical applications from Goddard's 

 study he finds in applied eugenical procedures, 

 especially the prevention of propagation of the 

 defective stock. "While our efforts to segregate 

 must be increased, sterilization is useful in 

 cases that can not be otherwise reached, and 

 many mental defectives may well be cared for 

 at their homes. 



In general, the book shows some haste in 

 composition and the latter is in spots defec- 

 tive, but nevertheless, it will be everywhere 

 regarded as a useful piece of work and one 

 that every one who is concerned with the 

 troubles of human society will prize. 



c. b. da^1:np0et 



Cold Spring Harbor, N. T., 

 October 31, 1915 



Handworterhuch der Naturwissenschaften. 

 Herausgegeben von Prof. Dr. E. Korschelt, 

 Marburg (Zoologie), Prof. Dr. G. Lestck, 

 Jena (Mineralogie und Geologic), Prof. Dr. 

 F. Oltmanns, Freiburg (Botanik), Prof. 

 Dr. K. Schaum, Giessen (Ohemie), Prof. 

 Dr. H. Th. Simon, Gottingen (Physik), 

 Prof. Dr. M. Verwoen, Bonn (Physiologie), 

 Dr. E. Teichmann, Frankfurt a. M. 

 (Hauptredaktion). Jena, 10 volumes, in 4°, 

 1912-15. Verlag von Gustav Fischer. 

 The splendid work issued under the above 

 title and with the editorship indicated is 

 worthy of close inspection from those inter- 

 ested in the various lines of natural science 

 included. The initial lieferungen have already 

 been reviewed by Professor Arthur Gordon 

 Webster^ in these pages and I do not doubt 

 that now on the completion of the work he will 

 favor us with a discussion from the side of 

 the physical sciences. The desirability of hav- 

 ing the attention of workers in the natural sci- 

 ences directed to the " Handworterhuch " has 

 led to the writing of this review. 



1 Science, N. S., Vol. XXXVIII., No. 972, pp. 

 230-233, August 15, 1913. 



