A STUDY IN HEREDITY 



CHAPTER I 



EVOLUTION 



The antiquity of drinking habits — Inebriety a problem of evolution 

 — Proof of evolution — Evolution implied in all creeds — 

 Enough for the purposes of this work. 



At a period extremely remote in human history, 

 and in an evil hour, the discovery was made that 

 fermented liquors were capable of inducing pleasant 

 sensations. At the same time, or shortly afterwards, it 

 was doubtless observed that deep drinkers purchased 

 their short-lived pleasure at heavy expense in health 

 and happiness, and that through them the well-being 

 of the community suffered. As a consequence, from 

 a period also extremely remote, historically for some 

 fifty centuries,^ punishments have been inflicted on 

 drunkards, and attempts have been made to diminish 

 or abolish the consumption of' alcohol — with the 



1 Vide Appendix A. 

 A 



