A first study of the statistics of insanity and the inheritance of the insane diathesis / by David Heron.
- Heron, David
- Date:
- 1907
Licence: In copyright
Credit: A first study of the statistics of insanity and the inheritance of the insane diathesis / by David Heron. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by King’s College London. The original may be consulted at King’s College London.
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![marriages of our insane persons have not been completed nor necessarily lasted even 15 years, (ii) that for a period, and in many cases a long period, the marriage has been interrupted by the confinement of one member in an asylum, and (iii) that the expectation of life of the insane is far less than that of the sane. Table XXIII gives the actual distributions for the purposes of comparison reckoned on the basis of 1000 individuals. It will be seen that our present statistics amply confirm the general result reached by Pearson* that pathologically abnormal stocks, or stocks tainted by deaf-mutism, tuberculosis, albinism, mental degeneracy, criminality, etc., are not less but rather more fertile than the normal stocks in the community. The eugenic importance of this in Table XXIII. Comparative Fertility in Insane and Normal Stocks. Size of Faniily Dr Urquliart's Data Karl Pearson's Data Copenhagen Data. Marriages of Pearson, Peerage Marriages of at least 15 years Tvi GO 'n^t Stock Parent TvQ TYl ll V Jl: alllliy Schedules Marriages of 15 years begun at or before 35 Professional Class lasting at least 15 years 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 48 54 124 103 154 106 118 118 64 33 33 18 18 3 3 3 57 150 103 161 138 92 92 46 58 80 23 87 91 122 132 113 135 83 81 77 35 21 9 9 4 1 34 56 84 103 124 115 122 104 64 76 51 26 24 7 4 3 1 83 113 151 125 127 107 75 74 51 38 21 19 7 G 1 1 1 49 76 101 138 150 96 114 94 66 45 29 26 10 2 3 0 1 18 19 1 1 Total 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 Mean 6-0 +-11 5-2 ±-21 5-3 ±-07 6-6 +-06 5-2 ±-05 5-8 ±-07 Standard 1 Deviation] 2-93+-08 2-84±-15 2-87 ±-05 3-06+ -04 2-99 + -04 3-14+ -05 relation to the insane diathesis is self-evident, for within the community natural selec- tion is largely suspended, and the insane restored to family life as recovered. It would be of great value to have full statistics of the length and number of attacks * See Pearson: The Scope and Importance to the State of the Science of National Eugenics, Boyle Lecture, Oxford University Press, Table IX, p. 35. 4—2](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b21295608_0029.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
