SINS OF THE FATHERS.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16360, 4 November 1918, Page 2

SINS OF THE FATHERS.

— ♦ - EFFECTS OF DISEASE. Aro the sins of tho fathers visited upon tho children of tho third and 1 fourth generations? Referring to this in his address on Saturday night, to members of the "W.E.A., Sir John Denmston stated that tho previous Sunday ne mot a Christchurch medical man. who has made a soecial study of the effect of heredity oh a form of disease which recent events bad brought much before the public. He (knowing nothing of that ovemng s address) read to Sir John a memorandum he had just drawn up of the results of his rccent examination of tho physical and mental conditions of the inmates of a large institution m t/ie South Island for the treatment and support of imbecile and defective children, with a special view of ascertaining how far this particular disease was responsible for their condition. He informed Sir John, citing, and concurring with, the conclusion of a very eminent French medical expert, that while no one syrr.ptom could be a conclusive indication, of the mental and physical deterioration being associated with the disease, the existence of two named symptoms was such indication, and also that the full oftect so indicated did not occur until tho fourth generation from tho origin of the original poisonous infection. "My friend,'' added .Sir John, "found both these symptoms in an enormous proportion —I only refra'n from r-itintr it for fear of exaggeration— of the children examined.' The effect of this poisonous element was, he tola sir John, to injure the brain tissue and create an overpowering predisposition to certain practices. The result was to lead to a certain condition of sexual influences. Could tho victim of this long chain of inherited disease J 1 * 2 ®** responsible to his fellow men, and as an objfeet of hatred, a proper subject for the application of ' physical pam flogging, or otherwise, by way of sec- , onaary punishment, secondary, thaw j was, to deterrent and preventive pun- J ishmentr'.