A First Study of the Statistics of Insanity and the Inheritance of the Insane Diathesis (Classic Reprint) - Softcover

David Heron

 
9780259021216: A First Study of the Statistics of Insanity and the Inheritance of the Insane Diathesis (Classic Reprint)

Synopsis

This book marks a significant moment in the nascent field of eugenics, particularly concerning the inheritance of mental illness. The author acknowledges the challenges in defining insanity, the complex relationship between mental diatheses, and the collection of reliable family histories. Despite these challenges, the meticulously analyzed data assesses the hereditary component of the 'insane diathesis', a term used to encompass the various mental illnesses of the time. The study finds a significant correlation between the family histories of the insane and their descendants. The heritability is significant, even when accounting for inaccuracies in reporting and incompleteness in family histories. The author argues that the insane diathesis has a high degree of heritability, comparable to that of physical and other mental traits. This suggests that the disorders could be understood as part of a broader continuum of human traits and, thus, potentially subject to selective breeding or elimination within generations.

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