From a sense of scientific accuracy no attempts have been made to demarcate, rigidly, abnormality from disease, or atavism from arrested development, except as may be done by the features of the cases in which the terms are used. The guiding principle adopted has been that the factors of degeneracy affect in the ancestor the checks on excessive action acquired during the evolution of the race, thus producing a state of nervous exhaustion. The descendant in consequence is unable to reach the state of the ancestor thus nervously exhausted.

For the illustrations, other than those that are original, the author is indebted to the Journal of the American Medical Association, Dental Cosmos, The International Dental Journal, The St. Louis Clinical Record, to M. Félix Alcan, and to the officers of the New York State Reformatory and Illinois State Reformatory, Drs. Geo. T. Carpenter, W. A. Pusey, F. S. Coolidge, Ch. Féré, Zuckerkandl, John E. Greves, Amsterdam; Ernst Sjoberg, Stockholm; Bastian, J. G. Kiernan, E. C. Spitzka, John Ridlon, James W. Walker, and Ignatius Donnelly.

E. S. T.

CONTENTS

CHAP. PAGE
[I.]INTRODUCTION[1]
[II.]THE STIGMATA OF DEGENERACY[27]
[III.]HEREDITY AND ATAVISM[40]
[IV.]CONSANGUINEOUS AND NEUROTIC INTERMARRIAGES[79]
[V.]INTERMIXTURE OF RACES[92]
[VI.]TOXIC AGENTS[104]
[VII.]CONTAGIOUS AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES[121]
[VIII.]CLIMATE, SOIL, AND FOOD[130]
[IX.]SCHOOL STRAIN[150]
[X.]THE DEGENERATE CRANIUM[161]
[XI.]THE DEGENERATE FACE AND NOSE[177]
[XII.]DEGENERACY OF THE LIP PALATE, EYE, AND EAR[196]
[XIII.]THE DEGENERATE TEETH AND JAWS[219]
[XIV.]DEGENERACY OF THE BODY[258]
[XV.]DEGENERACY IN REVERSIONAL TENDENCIES[282]
[XVI.]DEGENERACY OF THE BRAIN[294]
[XVII.]DEGENERACY OF MENTALITY AND MORALITY[315]
[XVIII.]CONCLUSIONS[346]
INDEX OF AUTHORS[363]
INDEX OF SUBJECTS[367]