Address on heredity in relation to insanity, given to the members of the London County Council, at the County Hall, S.W., on June 26th, 1912 / by F.W. Mott.
- Frederick Walker Mott
- Date:
- [1912?]
Licence: In copyright
Credit: Address on heredity in relation to insanity, given to the members of the London County Council, at the County Hall, S.W., on June 26th, 1912 / by F.W. Mott. Source: Wellcome Collection.
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![b\ ]\\ M(df. O make way for a union with the incoming male germ, the l)earer of tlie potential inheritance from the male as the female germ is from the female. These two g*erms constitute the woof and the warp of the material basis of inheritance ; while the male germ brings in a body called the ceutrosome, which acts as the shuttle which weaves the woof into the warp. The main substance of the egg-cell surrounding the germinal sub- stance or nucleus provides the material out of which fresh nuclear material is built up until division of the nucleus occurs, Fig. 1, the cell then divides; this process is continually repeated. In the case of the egg, e. g. that of the chicken, there is sufficient material to build up the young chick ; in animals, however, the fertilised egg-cell receives its nutrition after a short time from the blood of the mother. The reason why I have endeavoured, in simple language, to explain these facts to you is in order to make yon better understand the differences between congenital disease and true hereditary disease. As soon as the fertilised ovum, which is to form first the embryo and then the child, is nourished by the blood of the mother, it is liable to be affected by poisoned states of her blood. The best example I can offer of this is syphilis affecting the maternal blood, whereby the embryo is killed or the child is born with congenital syphilis. But supposing the father is suffering with sv]3hilis and the mother is healthy and free from latent syphilis and remains so, will the children be affected ? My answer is, No ! Because it is essential that the specific organism of syphilis should be conveyed by the male germ into the ovum, and this is physically impossible. But yon may ask: Can the male germs be in no way affected by the fact that the man had had syphilis, or that he had been a chronic drunkard, or suffered with chronic lead poisoning? This is a crucial point in the study of heredity. The majority of biologists deny the possibility of the transmission of an accpiired character, and I would agree up to a certain point that there is no evidence or proof that an acquired character can be transmitted. 'hhat a father who drinks heavily and sees his wife and family starving transmits the desire to drink in his offspring is illogical and unproven; he may transmit that inborn character which will lead to his offspring drinking, viz. lack of moral sense and feeble will. Ton naturally ask: Are the Scriptures winjuig’ in saying that the sins of the fathers are visited upon the children even to the third and fourth generation ? and when 1 come to deal with the question of insanity and how I believe Nature is continually striving to end or mend degenerate stocks you may ask : What then is the reserv'^oir which](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b28060908_0007.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
