Parent and Child Vol. III. | Page 5

the gospel teachings regarding mixed marriages and the
rearing of families?
11. What practical steps can and should be taken to prevent
feeble-minded and vicious people from propagating their kind?
_Reference_: The Jukes-Edwards family by Dr. A.E. Winship. If this
book be available, have some member of the class make a report on it.
"Training the Human Plant," and "Being Well Born," will also be found
helpful here.

THE MOTHER AND THE EMBRYO
The Care of the Mother During the Embryonic Period Determines
Largely the Future Welfare of the Child In common with every
organism the infant develops from a single germ cell of almost
microscopic size. Wrapped in this tiny cell are all the possibilities of
structure and character that combine to form the complicated bodily
organism and the particular mental endowment of the coming child.
It was once believed that almost any kind of physical or mental change

could be brought about in the cell through appropriate control of the
environment, but the results of careful observation and experiment are
opposed to this view; all evidence points to the fact that no new
character or element can enter the embryo from without. The cell itself
holds the secret of what the future individual shall be.
The sole connection between the embryo and the mother is the narrow,
umbilical cord which contains no nerves and whose only function is to
carry blood to the growing organism; it may be seen, therefore, how
impossible it is for mental impressions and disturbances on the part of
the mother to in any way reach and affect the embryo. Once started on
the road to development, the embryo is so thoroughly subject to inner
laws that nothing from without can modify or change the direction of
its growth except some physical cause which interferes with the blood
supply. An adequate supply of pure blood is the principal requirement
of the growing organism. Whatever interferes with the blood supply or
in any way affects its purity, has an injurious affect upon the embryo.
There is not the least doubt that lack of nutrition and serious ill-health
on the part of the mother have an extremely bad effect upon the unborn
offspring. Severe shock or grief, worry, nervous exhaustion, disease,
and poisons in the blood of the mother are the most serious sources of
injury; they render nutrition defective and if poison enters directly the
blood of the mother or is generated by toxins through disease, the
embryo will be poisoned and may be destroyed. Among these poisons
are alcohol, lead, and the toxins from tuberculosis and the venereal
diseases, gonorrhea and syphilis. To gonorrhea is attributed 80 per cent.
of the blindness of children born blind; it is declared to be the cause of
75 per cent. of all the surgical operations for female disorders and of 45
per cent. of involuntary sterility in childless women. Syphilis is the
chief cause of feeble-mindedness, paresis, or softening of the brain, and
of most other mental defects in children.
From the foregoing, it is evident that the proper care of the mother so
as to insure a pure blood supply for the offspring ought to be one of the
chief concerns of society. This should not be left to the haphazard
efforts of individuals but ought to be provided for by the state.
According to the statements of life insurance companies, "expectant

mothers are the most neglected members of our population." Dr. Van
Ingen, of New York City, estimates that 90 per cent, of women in this
country are wholly without prenatal care.
Luther Burbank shows that in order even for a plant to grow properly it
must have abundance of sunshine, good air, and nourishing food; but
not many mothers at this time may have even these poor luxuries.
Instead, too many mothers are slaves to an insanitary kitchen where
sunshine is scarcely known and where overwork and worry destroy all
appetite for food.
The welfare of the race demands that the mother shall be properly
nurtured and protected during this critical period. Abundance of
sunshine, pure air, light exercise and a variety of wholesome food are
absolutely essential, and the utmost pains should be taken to prevent
worry, excitement, sickness and above all contact with or exposure to
poisons or disease.
It was once thought that whatever causes a mental disturbance in the
mother leaves its impress on the child. It is fortunate that this old notion
is false, as we have shown nothing but a physical change affecting the
blood supply can possibly influence the developing organism. Now and
then a red "flame" spot or so-called birthmark is found on the new-born
child, but this is due always to some physical cause which may be
easily explained, never is it a result of fear