SAFETY FROM FEEBLE-MINDEDNESS 187 



had altogether 480 descendants. Of these, 47 grew up to be 

 normal, healthy people, while 143 have been or now are feeble- 

 minded. Facts are lacking about the rest of the descendants. 



This is the established record of one line of the Kallikak 

 family. It brings out the fact that a feeble-minded mother 

 may stamp successive generations of human beings with the 

 misfortune of her own mental likeness. 



The second line of inheritance in the same Kallikak family 

 shows an entirely different record. And here again the expla- 

 nation lies with the mother who, with the selfsame father, 

 stands at the head of her line. 



It seems that after the war was over, the soldier married 

 a healthy, clear-headed woman of stock as fine as his own. 

 They had children and children's children, until the total 

 number of their descendants has now increased to 496. 



Among these none have been feeble-minded. All have 

 been normal, vigorous, worth-while people, honored and 

 beloved and useful in all parts of the country. 



In view of this double record it is easy to believe the 

 statement that feeble-mindedness stands in line with every- 

 thing else that is inherited. We are now told that if. feeble- 

 minded people become parents, their affliction may reach 

 their own descendants in remote generations. In an average 

 number of cases the inheritance will move along as follows : 



1. If both parents are feeble-minded, all the children will 

 be feeble-minded. This law never f aits to work itself out. 



2. If both parents are normal, and if neither of them has 

 had any feeble-minded ancestors, all the children will be 

 normal, and not one of them will be able to pass feeble- 

 mindedness on to the next generation. 



3. If one of the parents is feeble-minded and the other is 

 normal with no feeble-minded ancestor, their children may 



