Alcoholism: A Study in HeredityT. F. Unwin, 1901 - 293 pages |
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Common terms and phrases
abstainers acquired characters afflicted alcohol ancestor ancient Artificial Selection atavism beer Burmah Burmese capacity for enjoying cause cause of evolution cells child civilised classes Commission on Opium consumption death death-rate deep indulgence delight develop doctrine drink drinkers drunk drunkards drunkenness effects elimination evidence evolved example exercise experience extinction fact favourable germ germ-cells Gothenburg habit human immunity inborn characters increase India individual inebriates inebriety inhabitants injurious instance instinct intemperance intoxication Jews Lamarck Lamarckian less malaria maternal impressions measles microbes moderate moral natives Natural Selection Neo-Darwinians offspring ontogeny parent perish phylogeny plants and animals poisonous population power of acquiring present Prohibition prone race rendered resistant result retrogression reversion Royal Commission saprophytic savages self-control sober sobriety South Europeans species suppose survival tapu Telegony Temperance Problem Temperance Reform tend theory thirst Thomas Morton tion traits transmission of acquirements transmitted useless variations Vide Appendix wild wine zymotic diseases
Popular passages
Page 223 - To-day I saw the dragon-fly Come from the wells where he did lie. "An inner impulse rent the veil Of his old husk : from head to tail Came out clear plates of sapphire mail. "He dried his wings: like gauze they grew: Thro' crofts and pastures wet with dew A living flash of light he flew.
Page 175 - The germs of existence contained in this earth, if they could freely develop themselves, would fill millions of worlds in the course of a few thousand years. Necessity, that imperious, all-pervading law of nature, restrains them within the prescribed bounds. The race of plants and the race of animals shrink under this great restrictive law; and man cannot by any efforts of reason escape from it.
Page 175 - Through the animal and vegetable kingdoms Nature has scattered the seeds of life abroad with the most profuse and liberal hand; but has been comparatively sparing in the room and the nourishment necessary to rear them.
Page 162 - ... expedients to procure rum, but failed. At length, however, he hit upon one which was successful. He went into the wood-yard of the establishment, placed one hand upon the block, and with an axe in the other, struck it off at a single blow. With the stump raised and streaming, he ran into the house and cried, ' Get some rum ! get some rum ! my hand is off...
Page 238 - Here, then, lies the gist of the whole matter. The progress is one, not of internal power, but of external advantage. The child born in a civilized land is not likely, as such, to be superior to one born among barbarians ; and the difference which ensues between the acts of the two children will be caused, so far as we know, solely by the pressure of external circumstances ; by which I mean the surrounding...
Page 235 - The consequence was that these gentle natures had no continuance, and thus by a policy so singularly unwise and suicidal that I am hardly able to speak of it without impatience, the Church brutalised the breed of our forefathers. She acted precisely as if she aimed at selecting the rudest portion of the community to be, alone, the parents of future generations. She practised the arts which breeders would use, who aimed at creating ferocious, currish and stupid natures.
Page 237 - Of all vulgar modes of escaping from the consideration of the effect of social and moral influences on the human mind, the most vulgar is that of attributing the diversities of conduct and character to inherent natural differences.
Page 237 - The average ability of the Athenian race is, on the lowest possible estimate, very nearly two grades higher than our own, that is, about as much as our race is above that of the African Negro.
Page 235 - The long period of the Dark Ages, under which Europe has lain, is due, I believe, in a very considerable degree, to the celibacy enjoined by religious orders on their votaries. Whenever a man or woman was possessed of a gentle nature that fitted him or her to deeds of charity, to meditation, to literature, or to art, the social condition of the time was such that they had no refuge elsewhere than in the bosom of the Church.