HEREDITARY INFLUENCE. 
589 
propensity for human flesh, have transmitted that propensity 
to children brought up away from them, under all social 
restraints. Zimmermann cites the case of a whole family 
upon whom coffee acted like opium, while opium had no 
sensible effect whatever on them ; and Dr. Lucas knows a 
family upon whom the slightest dose of calomel produces 
violent nervous tremblings. Every physician knows how 
both predisposition to and absolute protection against certain 
specific diseases are transmitted. In many families the teeth 
and hair fall out before the ordinary time, no matter w 7 hat 
hygiene be followed. Sir Henry Holland remarks, “ the 
frequency of blindness as an hereditary affection is w 7 ell 
known, whether occurring from cataract or other diseases of 
the parts concerned in vision. The most remarkable of the 
many examples known to me, is that of a family where four 
out of five children otherwise healthy, became totally blind 
from amaurosis about the age of twelve; the vision having 
been gradually impaired up to this time. What adds to the 
singularity of this case is the existence of some family monu- 
ment long prior in date, where a female ancestor is repre- 
sented with several children around her, the inscription re- 
cording that all the number were blind.”* But not only are 
structural peculiarities transmitted, we see even queer tricks 
of manner descending to the children. The writer had a 
puppy, taken from its mother at six weeks old, who although 
never taught “to beg” (an accomplishment his mother had 
been taught), spontaneously took to begging for everything 
he wanted, when about seven or eight months old : he would 
beg for food, beg to be let out of the room, and one day was 
found opposite a rabbit-hutch begging for the rabbits. 
Unless we are to suppose all these cases simple coincidences, 
we must admit individual heritage ; but the doctrine of pro- 
babilities will not permit us to suppose them coincident. 
Let us take the idiosyncrasy of cannibalism, which may be 
safely said not to appear more than once in ten thousand 
human beings ; if, therefore, we take one in ten thousand as 
the ratio, the chances against any man manifesting the pro- 
pensity will be ten thousand to one, but the chances against 
his son also manifesting it will be — what some more learned 
calculator must declare. 
Not the Species, but the Individual, then, we are forced to 
admit, presides over heritage ; and this will help to explain 
many puzzling phenomena. Thus M. Danney made experi- 
ments during ten years with rabbits, a hundred couples being 
selected by him with a view to the creation of peculiarities. 
* ‘ Medical Notes and Reflections/ p. 23. 
