The idiot : his place in creation, and his claims on society.

  • Frederick Bateman
Date:
1897
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The idiot : his place in creation, and his claims on society. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University.

    33/140 page 29
    and Ludwig Dahl, a Norwegian writer, says that to the abuse of brandy, especially in the fathers, but also in the mothers during pregnancy, may be assigned an important, perhaps the most important, influence in the production of the large number of idiots in that country. In considering this question, we must bear in mind that intemperance is only a relative term ; for in the early part of the century we read of our ancestors indulging in a bottle of port wine to each individual, without, it seems, incurring the charge of drunkenness. There cannot be a doubt, however, that the habitual use of alcohol, without beino- carried to the extent of actual intoxication, is calculated to cause a low and feeble condition of the body, and thus cdhduce to the production of idiocy in the offspring; for we may fairly assume that what too severely tries the nervous system in one generation will appear in their descendants. Without, therefore, * Toussenel, a French writer, says La plupart des idiots sont des enfants procre'e's dans 1'ivresse bacchique.
    digitised image 1
    digitised image 2
    digitised image 3