They also found that the same result could be produced in the winter by
keeping the sires in heated rooms or by applying heat externally. They further found that when the7/29/13 Nutrition and Physical Degeneration
gutenberg.net.au/ebooks02/0200251h.html#toc 208/250percentage of abnormal sperm was high a condition of sterility was apparently established. In a
personal communication from Professor McKenzie he states that their inference is that with a high
percentage of abnormal sperm the ova either are not fertilized or that fertilization takes place and
that prenatal death occurs in a certain number of the cases, and that there is an appreciable
prenatal death loss in sheep, horses, cattle, and swine. I have referred to the data presented by
Mall indicating that 15 per cent of human conceptions in England are expelled as deformities in the
second and third month of gestation. McKenzie also presents data relating to swine in which a sire
that showed a high percentage of abnormal sperm was bred to two groups of sows of similar
breed. One was maintained in a barn without access to pasture, the other received similar rations
plus access to pasture. The group without pasture produced a high percentage of mummies, small
litters, and abnormal pigs (open abdominal walls with viscera protruding and exposed spine in the
region of the lumbar vertebrae). The second group on the same food with the addition of pasturage
produced normally large-size litters without mummies. The following year this experiment was
repeated reversing the groups of sows and using a similar high percentage of defective sperm in the
same sire. The same results occurred, with the group maintained without access to pasture. This
emphasizes the need for the vitamins and minerals that are provided in natural foods, particularly
vitamin A and seems to relate to the studies of Hale in which the absence of vitamin A produced
gross defects. These studies on domestic animals strongly emphasize the necessity that both
parents shall have adequate nutrition before conception occurs and subsequently for the mother. Until very recently there has been exceedingly little literature dealing with the factors contributing
to the abnormal development of fetuses in either domestic animals or humans. Williams, who is one
of the few students of this problem as it relates to domestic animals, in referring to this phase has
commented that there is no treatise in the English language on teratology (development of
monsters) in domestic animals. (16) He emphasizes that these defects are growing in numbers and
economic importance. He refers to Burki's studies in Switzerland indicating that this difficulty has
constantly and enormously increased in his territory. This veterinary has asked "Are our cows
degenerating?" It is of interest that a type of deformity commonly recognized among veterinaries as
a distortion of the head presenting a lack of development of the bones of the middle part of the
face including the upper jaw is commonly called "bull-dog calf." This is particularly important in
connection with the frequent human deficiency of lack of development in the middle third of the
face. Williams emphasizes the common knowledge that Boston bull-dogs are not prolific and
because of the difficulty of giving birth to their young, some veterinarians resort routinely to
caesarian section. Fortunately, seriously deformed specimens are seldom born alive and usually do
not continue to term. Williams states that Loje has observed ten grossly deformed calves of a
particular type that were traced to the same sire; also a series of five with this deformity reported
by Hutt were traced to one sire. Among the deformities in domestic animals cleft palate or absence
of palate is very common. These studies on domestic animals strongly emphasize two facts; first,
that deformities among these animals are very similar to those that develop in humans, and second,
that the defects are largely related to the original germ cells and that the male may provide the
defect quite as well as the female. Several of the primitive races have understood and provided
against these mishaps. Moench and Holt of the Cornell Medical School and New York Hospital (17) have made
important studies on humans and have found a very high incidence of sterility when abnormal forms
of spermatozoa reached 25 per cent. Among the abnormal forms they found one particular family
with a particular type of abnormal sperm reaching 12 per cent. Their breeding record was
decidedly bad and fetal malformations repeatedly occurred. In their group, in 63 sterile matings the
men were normal 21 times and abnormal 37 times. They listed over 40 different abnormal or
deformed types of sperm. They conclude:
1. In a normal semen the abnormal sperm heads do not exceed 19 to 20 per cent. 2. When the sperm head abnormalities reach 20 to 23 per cent, impaired fertility can be
assumed. 3. When the sperm head abnormalities are above 25 per cent, clinical sterility is usually
present.7/29/13 Nutrition and Physical Degeneration
gutenberg.net.au/ebooks02/0200251h.html#toc 209/250    An important contribution to the question of the relation of the germ cells of the father to the
type of defects that are prevalent in his family history has been made in recent studies conducted in
Germany. (18)
   Two German surgeons concerned with enforcing the sterilization law in Berlin have taken
advantage of their opportunities to make an important contribution to the study of fecundity. Several studies have been published previously, of the spermatozoa of normal men. This book
offers a study of the spermatozoa of men who had been diagnosed as hereditarily defective. At
the time of the operation, the upper part of the vas deferens was washed out, and the sperm
thus obtained were studied in great detail, 20 different types of abnormality being distinguished. In their control studied, the normal man is found to produce 19 per cent of morphologically
defective sperm. By contrast, the chronic alcoholic patient produces 75 per cent of defective
sperm. Previously it has been assumed that as much as 25 per cent or 30 per cent of abnormal sperm
were a good evidence of lowered fertility if not of sterility. But the fertility of these chronic
alcoholics was not diminished, the authors claim. In cases of inherited mental defect, 62 per cent of abnormal sperm were produced,
accompanied by low fecundity,--as is the case generally with the mentally defective male. On the
other hand, in hereditary deafness, 62 per cent and in hereditary blindness 75 per cent of
defective sperm appeared. Epilepsy and schizophrenia (dementia praecox) both supposed to be constitutional in origin,
show less abnormality of spermatozoa (58 per cent and 54 per cent respectively) than blindness
and deafness. The fact that in the past almost the entire emphasis of change in physical, mental and moral
qualities has been assigned to the forces of heredity, strongly emphasizes the lack of information
regarding the nature of the forces at work and the points at which their influence constitute the
determining factors. The data previously presented in this chapter dealing with the role of vitamins
A and E throw valuable new light on this phase. It is important, however, that new data are
available dealing with the factors which injure the germ cells and which Tredgold has spoken of as
"poisoned germ cells." In a personal communication received from Professor T. S. Sutton of the College of Agriculture,
Ohio State University, he makes the following observation:
    For several years we have been interested in the study of the effects of vitamin A deficiency. Right now our main consideration is the effect of this deficiency on reproduction. We find that a
diet low in vitamin A will cause reproductive failure, which seems to be caused chiefly by a
degeneration of the germinal epithelium of the gonad. This is particularly true in the case of the
male. I think we have rather convincing evidence that this is a direct dietary damage to the
gonad (ovary or testis), rather than a disruption of the endocrine balance which might result in
sterility as appears to be the case in vitamin B deficiency. The degenerative processes which occur in nerve tissues due to vitamin A deficiency have been
studied by Professor Sutton and his associates. (19) They have been able to show detailed
progressive degeneration within nerve fibers as a result of vitamin A deficiency. In the light of the newer information it is quite clear why we may have anyone of the following
distinct expressions in the reproductive process, namely, physical excellence of succeeding
generations (such as obtains among many of the primitive races as I have shown); complete
reproductive failure or sterility or partial failure resulting in defectives of various types at the
borderline between these two phases. It is the rapid and progressive increase in this last group
which constitutes the progressive degeneration of our modern civilization. One of the main problems in this study has to do with the relation of nutrition to the modification
of the growth of the child, both in its formative period and in the stage of adolescence. I have
shown that in many of these primitive racial stocks there occurs in the first generation after the
displacement of native foods by imported foods a marked change in facial and dental arch forms. These changes happen most frequently in the later children in the families and come about7/29/13 Nutrition and Physical Degeneration
gutenberg.net.au/ebooks02/0200251h.html#toc 210/250notwithstanding the impact of heredity through all the previous generations of excellent physical
development. Clinically, the evidence is abundant, that this change occurs in these primitive racial
stocks regardless of color, geographic location, temperature, and climate. We are apparently
dealing here with a factor which, while it may be related to the germ plasm and to the prenatal
growth period, clearly involves other forces than those that are at work in the case of hereditary
defectives. Since these changes have to do directly with disturbances in growth of the head,
particularly of the face and of the dental arches, we are concerned with such evidence as may be
available as to the nature of the forces that readily affect the anatomy of the skull. The general architecture of the body is apparently determined primarily by the health of the two
germ cells at the time of their union. This architectural design may not be completely fulfilled due to
interference with nutritive processes both before and after birth. In this large problem of the
relationship between physical design of the body and resistance or susceptibility to disease, we
may have determining factors operating at different periods in prenatal and postnatal growth. The
accumulating evidence strongly emphasizes that disease susceptibility is a widely variable factor
and associated with certain types of developmental disturbances. In a discussion of tuberculosis susceptibility before a meeting of specialists in that field, emphasis
was placed upon the fact that other factors than the bacteria played controlling roles in the matter
of susceptibility to tuberculosis. Weisman has recently made an important contribution to the problem of physical development
and susceptibility to tuberculosis. He has presented (20) statistical data indicating the type of chest
deformity which predisposes an individual to tuberculosis. He states:
    In a study previously made on the shape of the normal and of the tuberculosis chest, it was
found that the average normal chest was flat and wide and that the average tuberculous chest
was deep and narrow. It was also shown that the deep chest was an underdeveloped, primitive
type of chest, resembling an infant's chest in shape. Later studies on the shape of the chest and
on environment showed that children from the poorer socio-economic environments had on the
average a deeper chest, weighed less and were shorter than the children from the higher socio-
economic levels. An investigation recently made on the incidence of tuberculosis in the various
school districts in Minneapolis revealed that there is a very high incidence of tuberculosis
among the children from the slums where the deep chest prevails. Ten times as many cases of
tuberculosis were reported from a school district which is perhaps the poorest in the city as
were reported from the best school districts. This study, which shows that there is a definite correlation between the deep chest and the
positive reaction to tuberculin adds one more link to the chain of evidence supporting the
contention that the deep chest is more or less associated with tuberculosis. It also helps to
explain why there is such a high incidence of tuberculosis among the poor in the slum districts. The children in the slums are physically underdeveloped. They are not only shorter and lighter
but they have on the average a deep, primitive, infantile type of chest, one that has not gone
through the normal process of development. Even the new-born and infants are shorter and
lighter and have a deeper chest than the average infant from a better environment. It is important to note that Dr. Weisman associated the type of chest which predisposes the
individual to tuberculosis, with a prenatal condition since he states "even the new-born and infants
are shorter and lighter and have a deeper chest than an average infant from a better environment." This work throws important light on why in the primitive groups the children born to parents who
are living on the imported nutrition lower in vitamins and minerals than the native foods, not only
showed a greatly increased incidence of tuberculosis over the children born to parents on the
native diet but also proved to be those individuals who, in facial and dental arch form, presented
positive evidence of prenatal injury. We also have a direct explanation for the observations that
have been emphasized by Dr. George Draper, that physical form has a direct relationship to
disease susceptibility of certain types, frequently spoken of as diatheses. It is important in this connection to call to mind the statement made by some clinicians that
tuberculosis patients with narrow nostrils tend to make a poor fight. These narrow nostrils are
clearly related to prenatal injury resulting primarily from defective germ cells which determine the
architecture, not heredity but intercepted heredity.7/29/13 Nutrition and Physical Degeneration
gutenberg.net.au/ebooks02/0200251h.html#toc 211/250    It is very easy to understand the effects of gross physical lesions such as the absence of
eyeballs, harelip and cleft palate. These defects can readily be seen. The problem is very different,
however, when we are dealing with disturbances of function due to minute anatomical lesions in
either external or internal organs such as the brain. These latter will be discussed in the next
chapter. REFERENCES
1. PRICE, W. A. Dental Infections. Cleveland, Penton, 1923. 2. DRAPER, G. Human Constitution. Phila., Saunders, 1924. 3. DRAPER, G. Disease and the Man. N. Y., Macmillan, 1930. 4. WALD, G. Vitamin A in Eye Tissues. J. Gen. Physiol., 18:905, 1935. 5. MELLANBY, E. Vitamin A deficiency and deafness. Biochem. J. In press. 6. MASON, K. E. Foetal death, prolonged gestation and difficult parturition in the rat as a
result of vitamin A deficiency. Am. J. Anat., 57:303, 1935. 7. MEIGS, E. B. and CONVERSE, H. T. Some effects of different kinds of hay in the ration
on the performance of dairy cows. J. Dairy Sci., 16:317, 1933. 8. BARRIE, M. M. Nutrition anterior pituitary deficiency. Biochem. J. In press. 9. BACHARACH, A. L., ALLEHORNE, E., GLYNN, H. E. Investigations into the method
of estimating vitamin E. 1. Influence of vitamin E deficiency on implantation. Biochem. J.,
21:2287, 1937. 10. SHERMAN and MACLEOD. The relation of vitamin A to growth, reproduction and
longevity. J. Am. Chem. Soc., 47:1658, 1925. 11. HUGHES, AUBEL and LIENHARDT. Importance of vitamins A and C in the ration for
swine, concerning especially their effect on growth and reproduction. Kansas Agric. Sta. Tech. Bull., No. 23, 1928. 12. HART and GILBERT. Vitamin A deficiency as related to reproduction in range cattle. Univ. of Calif. Agric. Exper. Sta. Bull., No. 560, 1933. 13. HUGHES, E. H. Effects of vitamin A deficient diet of sows. J. Agric. Res., 49:943, 1934. 14. SURE, B. Dietary requirements for fertility and lactation; dietary sterility associated with
vitamin A deficiency. J. Agric. Res., 37:87, 1928. 15. HALE, F. The relation of maternal vitamin A deficiency to microphthalmia in pigs. Texas S.
J. Med., 33:228, 1937. 16. WILLIAMS, W. L. The problem of teratology in clinical veterinary medicine. Cornell
Veterinarian, 26:1, 1936. 17. MOENCH, G. L. and HOLT, H. Sperm morphology in relation to fertility. Am. J. Obst. and Gynec., 22:199, 1931. 18. STIASNY, H. and GENERALES, K. Erbkranheit and Fertilitaet. Ferdinand Enke Verlag,
Stuttgart, 1937. Review, J. Heredity, 29:9, 1938. 19. SUTTON, T. S., SETTERFIELD, H. E. and KRAUSS, W. E. Nerve degeneration
associated with avitaminosis A in the white rat. Ohio Agric. Exper. Sta. Bull., No. 545,
1934. 20. WEISMAN, S. A. Correlation of the positive reaction to tuberculin and the shape of the
chest. J.A.M.A., 109:1445, 1937. TABLE OF CONTENTS   
 
Chapter 19
PHYSICAL, MENTAL AND MORAL DETERIORATION7/29/13 Nutrition and Physical Degeneration
gutenberg.net.au/ebooks02/0200251h.html#toc 212/250AFTER one has lived among the primitive racial stocks in different parts of the world and studied
them in their isolation, few impressions can be more vivid than that of the absence of prisons and
asylums. Few, if any, of the problems which confront modern civilization are more serious and
disturbing than the progressive increase in the percentage of individuals with unsocial traits and a
lack of irresponsibility. Laird (1) has emphasized some phases of this in an article entitled, The Tail That Wags the
Nation, in which he states: "The country's average level of general ability sinks lower with each
generation. Should the ballot be restricted to citizens able to take care of themselves? One out of
four cannot." He has illustrated the seriousness of this degeneration by presenting details as follows:
    Although we might cite any one of nearly two dozen states, we will first mention Vermont by
name because that is the place studied by the late Dr. Pearce Bailey. "It would be," he wrote,
"safe to assume that there are at least 30 defectives per 1000 in Vermont of the eight-year-old
mentality type, and 300 per 1000 of backward or retarded persons, persons of distinctly inferior
intelligence. In other words, nearly one-third of the whole population of that state is of a type to
require some supervision. From a broad view of the problem of modern degeneration it will be helpful to note the
observations by Tredgold (2)  in mental deficiency. He states:
    It is thus evident that the condition of mental deficiency, whilst presenting many interesting
problems to the physician, the pathologist, and the psychologist, has also a much wider interest
and importance. Since in Man the predominate feature is Mind, and since it is by its
development and evolution that human progress has taken, and must take place, it is clear that
the question of its disease, and particularly of its defect, is one of supreme importance to the
statesman, the sociologist, the philosopher, and the whole community. In connection with these investigations among primitive races it is interesting to note that the data
are in complete harmony with the data which clinical pathologists, clinicians and anatomists have
obtained in their study of the physical and structural characteristics of individuals who make up the
deficiency groups. In discussing the problem of the significance of the shape of the palate,
Tredgold (2)  states:
    Palate--The association of abnormalities of the palate with mental deficiency has long been
recognized, and there is no doubt that it is one of the commonest malformations occurring in
this condition. Many years ago Langdon Down drew attention to the subject, and more recently
Clouston has recorded a large number of observations which show conclusively that, although
deformed palates occur in the normal, they are far and away more frequent in neuropaths and
the mentally defective. He states that deformed palates are present in 19 per cent of the ordinary
population, 33 per cent of the insane, 55 per cent of criminals, but in no less than 61 per cent of
idiots. Petersen, who has made a most exhaustive study of this question, and has compiled an
elaborate classification of the various anomalies found palatal deformities present in no less
than 82 per cent of aments, (mental defectives), in 76 per cent of epileptics, and in 80 per cent of
the insane. Probably every city in the United States has made special provision for both mentally deficient
groups and unsocial individuals, either in special schools or in special classes. In Cleveland, we
have had a large school devoted to the problems of the so-called pre-delinquent boys, of whom
nearly all have been before the courts and are assigned to this institution because they are not well
enough adjusted to be kept in their normal school environment. In discussing the characteristics of
these boys with the principal of that school, I asked him what the probabilities were that many of
these boys would finally become involved in crime. His comment was, in effect, that they were
virtually in the vestibule of a penal institute, when judged by the experience of previous boys from
that school. In approaching a study of this group, it is helpful to observe the experience of the well-equipped
institutions organized for the correction of the abnormal trend which characterizes these boys. In
this connection, there is a helpful report by the United States Dept. of Labor, Publication No. 203,
which gives the result of tracing the after careers of 621 boys who were in five of the best-known
correctional institutions. It was found that 66 per cent had been arrested and 58 per cent convicted7/29/13 Nutrition and Physical Degeneration
gutenberg.net.au/ebooks02/0200251h.html#toc 213/250one or more times after having been paroled from the institution. It is apparent from data of this
type that probably the forces that produce these abnormal expressions cause irreparable damage
in the brain tissue. Practically all recent crime reports are recording an increase in juvenile crime. The Children's Bureau of the Dept. of Labor stated (Nov. 4, 1938): "that juvenile delinquency
spurted during 1937 for the first time since 1930," but it cannot explain why until further study. Reports to the bureau from 28 courts in 17 states and the District of Columbia showed that they
handled 31,038 cases during 1937, an increase of 3,000 over 1936. The report showed that 44
per cent of the cases involved children between 14 and 15 years old; 22 per cent those between
12 and 13 years, and 10 per cent those between 10 and 11. Boys' cases comprised 8 5 per cent
of the total. As an approach to this problem I have made an examination of 189 boys in the Cleveland
school for pre-delinquents. I gave particular attention to those physical signs of nutritional injury,
which seemed to be definitely assigned to the formative period of the child. We endeavored to
obtain detailed information relative to the family history and to the birth of the child. We were
fortunate in having the assistance of the officers, and of a nurse in the dental service of the Health
Department of the Board of Education, a nurse who made visits to the homes of many of these
boys to obtain the information directly from the mothers. In this group of boys, there were twenty-nine for whom I had not sufficient details to include
their cases in the studies. Of the 189 in the group, there were only three with sufficiently normal
dental arches to be classified as normal. Accordingly, 98.4 per cent proved to be individuals with
more or less marked abnormality. Many of the faces were very badly deformed. While often it will be difficult to place the responsibility entirely on either parent for the child's
abnormal physical development, it is of interest to study the birth rank of these children. The
average number of children in the families represented by these 160 children is 4.75. Of these,
thirty-five, or 21.9 per cent, are first children in the families represented; thirteen, or 9.1 per cent,
are only children; thirty-nine, or 24.4 per cent, are last children; and thirty-six or 22.5 per cent, are
fifth children or later. Sixty-two, or 38.7 per cent, are either the first or last child. It will be seen
from these data that the first or last child, or even a late child in a large family, tended to have a
distinctly poorer chance than the intermediate children in the families in which these studies were
made. Statistical data relating the age of the mother and father to prenatal deficiency of their
offspring reveal that abnormally young parents have a much higher percentage of defective children
than do those in the most favorable child-bearing period of life. The group at the Cleveland school
included only those boys who have been before the courts because of more or less serious phases
of delinquency. If they are in a considerable part the products of a defective society, it seems quite
unfair that they should be held entirely responsible for that delinquency, which has put them in this
institution. If they are destined for a penal institute in which they will be held entirely responsible for
that abnormality which resulted in their misdemeanor, as has been the procedure in the past, are
they receiving just consideration? Society may be justified in protecting itself from their misdeeds
by placing restrictions about them, but it does not seem that society is justified in shifting the entire
responsibility to the affected individuals. Recent studies of the mental capacity of felons brought before the Common Pleas Court in
Cleveland have shown that of 3,197 convicted felons examined in the medical clinic only 42.3 per
cent were classified as normal. Fifty-five and nine-tenths per cent were classed as defective
delinquents and only 1.8 per cent as insane. The outgrowth of this study has resulted in the drafting
by the Cleveland Bar Association of a new criminal law for Ohio to be presented to the coming
State Legislature. This bill provides for the creation of a new criminal class composed of what are
called defective delinquents. This includes morons and others of abnormal mentality but not insane
who commit felonies or misdemeanors. The purpose of this legislation is to afford special treatment
for law violators falling within the new classification, making it possible to segregate delinquents in
separate institutions. The Ohio law like that of most other states now recognizes only two types of
criminals, sane and insane, and if not insane they must be punished.7/29/13 Nutrition and Physical Degeneration
gutenberg.net.au/ebooks02/0200251h.html#toc 214/250    It is proper that we should ask who is to blame for the abnormalities which render these young
men incapable of making the necessary adaptation to our environment. An important characteristic of the boys in the Cleveland school was their low intelligence. Practically all were recorded as retarded or mentally backward prior to their transfer to this
institution. It is important that we note the characteristics of groups that are similarly retarded, but who
have not demonstrated sufficiently unsocial characters to have to be placed in the pre-delinquent
groups. We shall recognize them as individuals who may never commit unsocial acts sufficient to
get them into trouble, though they will doubtless continue in the group of mentally backward
persons. Such a group is to be found in the Outwaithe School in Cleveland. The children in this
school, which enrolls about one thousand students, were examined in order to ascertain whether
there might be groups that are similarly afflicted physically. The school is distinctive because it has
a very high percentage of children who are backward mentally. Many of these children have been
concentrated there in order to bring them under the influence of special teachers. In an examination
of a cross section of the children, almost all were found to have had distinct injury in the formative
period, as evidenced by the changes in facial form. A preliminary survey of the backward children
of this institution was made by having typical classes selected by an official of the school from ages
ranging from eleven to seventeen. I examined the arches and made measurements of the head and
face. With the assistance of the school nurse I obtained records of the other children in the families
selected. This latter survey was supplemented by field work by the nurse. The intelligence
quotients, as reported in the records, were also provided. In the twenty-nine individuals so studied,
seven, or twenty-five per cent were first children; fourteen, or fifty per cent last children in the
families. Only one individual was found with approximately normal dental arches, that is,
approximately three per cent of the individuals. Twenty-eight children, or 97 per cent, had
abnormality of one or both dental arches. These children were placed in this institution because
they were backward mentally, although as a group they are comparable to the group studied in the
Thomas A. Edison School, where the grouping was based on delinquent traits. A cursory
examination was made by observing other pupils in this school in their classes and on the grounds. A large percentage of severe facial and dental arch deformities and a very high percentage with
definite disturbances in facial growth were evident. These data are presented as applying to a
group of individuals characterized by a disturbed mentality, to the extent that they were assigned to
special classes for the mentally retarded. While the group constituting the school population at
Outwaithe represented the relatively large group of pupils assigned to special classes for backward
children and did not carry the stigmata of delinquency carried by those of the Thomas A. Edison
School, both groups had many physical defects in common. We are, accordingly, concerned with the relationship existing among various stages of mental
backwardness, pre-delinquency and criminality. To throw light on this subject, I visited our State
Penitentiary to observe the characteristics of facial and dental arch development of the individuals
whose unsocial traits had brought them to this institution. I visited the dental clinic with the director,
Dr. May, and saw the mouths of typical members of that colony as they were presented for oral
examination. I asked the director what, if any, special features of the oral cavity he had observed
to be characteristic of this group and different from those he had observed outside the institution in
his private practice. He stated that he had noted continually that there was a tendency for the
tongue to be too large for the mouth. This is a constant characteristic of another group of mentally
injured, namely, the Mongoloid. This institution has a population of approximately four thousand
individuals. A high percentage of them gave marked evidence of injury in the prenatal period as
expressed in disturbances of facial form and the shape of the dental arches. In observing over half
the population at work or exercise, I did not see one with a typically normal facial development. In
Fig. 122 will be seen typical examples of this group. These show front and side views (see
Hooton's recent book. 15a ).7/29/13 Nutrition and Physical Degeneration
gutenberg.net.au/ebooks02/0200251h.html#toc 215/250FIG. 122. Criminals. Were their unsocial traits related directly
to incomplete brain organization associated with prenatal
injury? Newspaper daily illustrated reports of crimes committed by young criminals show almost
continually these evidences of prenatal injury. Note the two characters Bird and Nixon, Fig. 123.7/29/13 Nutrition and Physical Degeneration
gutenberg.net.au/ebooks02/0200251h.html#toc 216/250FIG. 123. Note the marked lack of normal facial development
of these notorious young criminals. Nixon is only 18. These
are typical samples seen frequently in the daily press. It is important to emphasize the fact that the disturbances in the development of the head, face
and brain may have a variety of expressions. In the more severe form characteristic of the
Mongoloid group, as seen in Fig. 124 the facial injury is typical and is associated with a mental
disturbance which, in turn, has been shown to be associated with typical brain lesions. The
individuals of that group, however, do not tend to be criminals. Indeed, their injury is too severe. As a group they are apt to be docile, tractable and happy. Indeed, in the mentally backward and
criminal groups in their various stages, we find facial patterns typical of large numbers of individuals
we see on the streets, who are in school or in business, and entirely capable of maintaining a
respected and honorable position in society. Accordingly, it is not justified, and indeed would be
entirely unfair, to associate their disturbed facial and dental arch development with traits that would
be normally found in the grossly unsocial groups. We cannot by viewing the face evaluate the kind
or extent of brain injury that is associated with prenatal malnutrition of that individual. Indeed, these
various divergent facial patterns are accepted by our modern civilization as representative of the
many varieties or patterns constituting a normal population. It is not until we see primitive groups
living under a controlled natural environment that we see Nature's model and design of the human
physiognomy. FIG. 124. This is a typical mongoloid defective. Note the
marked lack of development of the middle third of the face
7/29/13 Nutrition and Physical Degeneration
gutenberg.net.au/ebooks02/0200251h.html#toc 217/250and nose with the upper arch too small for the lower. Individuals of this type look alike and act alike and all have
typical speech and behavior defects. These are now
associated with definite defects in the brain. Nearly all are
either a first or last child. A large percentage are born to
mothers over forty years of age. We are concerned to know the percentage in any typical colony of our modern civilization that
may be placed in the various classifications of normal, mildly backward mentally, severely
backward mentally, unsocial, delinquent, criminal, idiots, epileptic and insane. Tredgold (2) reports
two surveys in England and Wales which give figures on the proportion of the population that
could be identified with definite lesions. It would be fortunate if a survey could be made in the
United States that would indicate the extent of the increase in delinquents of various types,
including racketeers and criminals. It would be very helpful if these data could be related to the
degrees of prenatal injury. There are many phases of modern degeneration which lend themselves
to study from the standpoint of the probable role of progressive decline in the efficiency of nutrition
to the progressive increase in morbidity, mortality, mental deficiency and delinquency. This is
discussed in the next chapter on Soil Depletion, Plant and Animal Deterioration. From the point of view of this problem the differences between the modern white civilizations
and many of the primitive groups is interesting. Criminal tendencies in isolated primitives are so
slight that no prisons are required. I have referred to the Loetschental Valley in Switzerland, which,
until recently, has been physically isolated from the process of modernization. For the two
thousand inhabitants in that valley, there is no prison. In Uganda, Africa, the Ruanda tribes
estimated to number two and a half millions, had no prisons. Observation of Nature's normal facial patterns in the primitive racial stocks, establishes types
within the limits of normality. The readers of this text by observing the individuals in any given
families may see in how large a percentage of white families the progressive narrowing and
lengthening of the face in the younger members of the family as compared with the older occurs. Further observations will enable one to recognize rapidly, even without experience and special
training in anatomy, these evidences of prenatal injury. I made a survey in the New England States, Quebec and Eastern Ontario, because the United
States death rate from heart disease as reported by the American Heart Association was shown to
be highest in Vermont and New Hampshire, followed closely by Massachusetts and New York. I
first visited the New York State Hospital for tuberculosis patients at Raybrook, near Saranac. With the assistance of a member of the staff, I examined fifty young men and women in the wards. In that group, only three were found with normal facial and dental arch development. These three
individuals were marble cutters who were suffering from silicosis. The forty-seven other individuals
examined (94 per cent) were found to have marked evidence of injury in the developmental
period. At the state fair at Rutland, Vermont, to which residents came from various communities
throughout the state, I was able to count, by observing and recording the individuals who passed,
that in each 100 people, three out of four gave evidence of injury in the developmental period. Similar studies were made at the State Farm for delinquent boys and girls, almost all of whom had
been before the courts. 1 found that a very high percentage, approximating 100 per cent of those
observed, had received injuries in the prenatal period. I then went to Quebec and studied groups
of school children in the early teens. I observed groups in which a very high percentage gave
marked evidence of prenatal injury. This seemed aggravated in districts where the farms had been
abandoned, because the land was not producing as well as in the past. I studied Indians in two
Indian Reservations, also, and there again found marked evidence of injury typical of our
modernized communities. Similarly, a limestone district in Ontario was visited and critical
observations were made of the facial form of the new generation, in regions in which the fertility of
the soil had been definitely depleted through exhaustion. These again showed evidence of prenatal
injury through faulty nutrition. The prisoners in a jail were examined, and all of them except two
habitual drunkards showed marked evidence of prenatal injury.7/29/13 Nutrition and Physical Degeneration
gutenberg.net.au/ebooks02/0200251h.html#toc 218/250    If space permitted, it would be interesting to include here a discussion and illustrations of the
physical characteristics of the racketeers and criminals whose pictures are shown in our
newspapers almost daily. It is rare that a normal face is depicted in this group. As an approach to more detailed study of the available information regarding the processes that
are involved in the production of facial deformities, it will be helpful to think of the face as
constituting the floor of the anterior part of the brain. The pituitary body is situated on the
underside of the brain just back of the eyes. It is the governing body for the activity of growth, and
largely controls the functioning of several of the other glands of internal secretion. It is, as it were,
the master of the ship. We are, accordingly, primarily concerned with the role that it plays, and the
forces which control its own development and function. Its dependence upon vitamin E has been
demonstrated by many workers. For example, Dr. M. M. O. Barrie (3) has reported that an
inadequate amount of vitamin E produces marked disturbance in the growth of the offspring of
rats. He states:
    The changes observed are similar in several ways to those produced by hypophysectomy
(removal of pituitary gland). Marked degranulation of the anterior pituitary is found in both the
abnormal young and the adult sterile animals. Lack of vitamin E therefore produces a virtual
nutritional hypophysectomy in the young rat. The work recently done in this field by Dr. Hector Mortimer and his associates in McGill
University, Montreal, has included studies of skull development of rats. He has shown that the
surgical removal of the pituitary body at the base of the brain in very young rats produces regularly
a certain type of defect in skull development. This has been characterized by a lack of
development forward of the muzzle or face, with a narrowing of the nose and dental arches. He
found that by the addition of extracts made from the pituitary glands, which he had removed
surgically, he entirely prevented the development of these defects, thereby establishing the relation
of the injury to deficiencies of the hormones developed by that organ. Another approach to the
problem on which he has expended much fruitful effort, has been in connection with the study of
the skulls of individuals who are known to have disturbances in the functioning of the pituitary gland
through the interference caused by tumors. Common illustrations are the cases of acromegaly or
giantism. By associating these physical changes in bodily form with each x-ray, data obtained from
skiagraphs, together with the history and the nature of the tumor, considerable information has
been developed. Another important series of studies has included the correlation, by means of the
x-rays, of the skulls of individuals suffering from certain types of physical and mental disturbances,
with certain abnormalities in the skull as shown by the x-rays. By these various means Dr.
Mortimer has been able to divide the various types of skull defects and developmental and growth
defects into distinct classifications. With this yardstick he is able to classify individuals from their
Roentgenograms. It is of interest that in his work, in association with Dr. G. Levine, Dr. A. W.
Rowe and others at the Evans Memorial for Clinical Research and Neuro-Endocrine Research in
Boston, important relationships have been established through the examination of over three
thousand case histories. X-ray records of the skull are included in the studies. They report that
independent and previous physiological investigations gave evidence at the time of the examination
of disturbed pituitary function. Dr. Mortimer's excellent investigations seem to indicate clearly that
facial and dental arch form are directly related to and controlled by the functioning of the pituitary
body in the base of the brain. Dr. Barrie (3)  reports that partial deficiency of vitamin E, as shown in
the case of the female rat, results in the prolongation of gestation which may be continued as long
as ten days beyond the normal period. The offspring under these conditions are abnormal. Further,
animals deficient in vitamin E, occasionally give birth to a litter, but fail to lactate. When we realize that one of the best sources of vitamin E is wheat germ, most of which is
removed from white flour, usually along with four-fifths of the mineral, we see one cause of the
tragedy that is overwhelming so many individuals in our modern civilization. In many individuals it
may be wise to reinforce our modern white bread and starchy dietary with wheat germ, which can
be obtained in package form from the manufacturers of flour. As this is put up in cans, all air is
displaced with an inert gas when the cans are sealed. While in this way oxidation of the embryo
which is very fragile, is prevented, as soon as the seal is broken, oxidation sets in and progresses7/29/13 Nutrition and Physical Degeneration
gutenberg.net.au/ebooks02/0200251h.html#toc 219/250rapidly, producing a product that is not comparable to the wheat embryo of freshly cracked whole
wheat. My investigations indicate that Nature has put just the right amount of embryo in each grain
of wheat to accompany that quantity of food. If the whole wheat is prepared and eaten promptly
after grinding and exposing the embryo to oxidation, the effect desired by Nature is adequately
provided. It is important to emphasize in connection with the development of the deformities of the face
that other skeletal deficiencies or abnormalities result from the same disturbing factors. One of
these is the narrowing of the entire body, with a tendency to increase in height. This is shown in
many of the family groups of modernized primitives. The effect of this narrowing of the body,
which in girls results in the boyish type of figure due to the narrowing of the hips, introduces an
entirely new and serious problem in the experience of our modern civilization when confronted with
the problems of childbirth. Among primitive races living in a primitive state childbirth was a very simple and rapid process,
accompanied by little fear or apprehension; whereas, in the modernized descendants, even in the
first and second generations of those individuals born to parents after they had adopted the foods
of modern white civilizations, serious trouble was often experienced. We have been considering the changes which take place in the skeletal growth as a result of the
disturbances in the functioning of the pituitary body of the individual after birth, or of the mother
during the prenatal period. We are also concerned with changes in the soft tissues, particularly the
brain. I have presented data indicating that a very large percentage of mentally backward children
have disturbances in facial development. The available data also indicate that a large percentage of
those who are seriously injured in facial form have some disturbance in their mental or moral
character. Whether there is relationship between the processes which develop these physical
abnormalities in brain growth and mental efficiency, including emotional states and character traits
is now to be considered. An important contribution has been made to this phase of the problem by Dr. James Papez,
Professor of Anatomy at Cornell University, (4)  who concludes his report:
    Is emotion a magic product, or is it a physiologic process which depends on an anatomic
mechanism? . . . The evidence presented is . . . suggestive of such a mechanism as a unit within
the larger architectural mosaic of the brain. Research data have been presented which deal with the anatomical defects of the brain of
individuals suffering from the typical mental and physical patterns of the so-called Mongolian idiot. In these cases the gyrus cinguli of the brain were found to be absent, which indicates the
impossibility that these individuals function normally either physically or mentally. Modern civilization has provided a large group of the defectives known as Mongolian idiots. They have very definite characteristics both physical and mental. Among the former, one of the
most universal expressions is a vacant stare associated with a face that is markedly
underdeveloped in the middle third, usually accompanied by narrow nostrils and a narrow upper
dental arch. One of the outstanding characteristics of the group is their inability to develop mentally beyond
three to eight years of age. Because of the difficulty of building a character and intelligence level
beyond infancy, these unfortunates are housed largely in state institutions for feebleminded. Since
the physical picture is similar to that which occurs in a much less severe form in a large number of
individuals in our modern civilization, it is important that we study this group in the light of the
information that is available with regard to their physical, mental and moral characteristics, and in
the light of such information as is available regarding their origin. The surveys that have been made reveal the fact that nearly all of them are born to mothers
more than forty years of age, and apparently at a period of very low efficiency in reproductive
capacity. While most of the discussion and literature stress the importance of the age of the7/29/13 Nutrition and Physical Degeneration
gutenberg.net.au/ebooks02/0200251h.html#toc 220/250mother, some data are now available which throw responsibility also on the paternal side. Korosi, as reported by Tredgold in Mental Deficiency, came to the conclusion as a result of the
investigation of 24,000 unselected individuals that the children of fathers below twenty or above
forty years of age are weaker than the children of fathers between these ages. Also, the children of
mothers over forty years of age are weaker than those born to mothers below this age. Tredgold
presents data connecting defective structures in the brain with certain phases of physical behavior
and mental deficiencies. He quotes many authors whose data correspond with his own. Much of
this material relates to accounts of incomplete prenatal development of nerve structures in the
brain. We are particularly interested in the origin and the nature of the brain lesions. Penrose, (5) in
analyzing the relative etiologic importance of birth order and maternal age in Mongolism presents
data obtained from an examination of 224 defectives in which the total number of children in all the
families involved was 1,013. Accordingly, in these families approximately 20 per cent were so
affected. The average number of children per family was five and one-half. He states:
    Mongolian imbeciles are very often born last in a long family. This fact, which was pointed
out many years ago by Shuttleworth, has led clinicians to believe that Mongolism is to some
extent a product of the exhaustion of maternal reproductive powers due to frequent child
bearing. . . . The conclusion is widely accepted with the reservation that the affected child is not
necessarily born at the end of the family. Several cases are first-born, in fact, and it is sometimes
stated that the conditions occur more frequently in first and last children than in other ordinal
positions. There is, however, ample evidence that Mongolian imbeciles have a significantly later
birth rank than normal children. G. Ordahl (6)  has reported on a study of ninety-one cases in which he found that fifty-six or 60
per cent were the last born. The families averaged five children. He states that "uterine exhaustion
is the most commonly advanced reason for Mongolism." Madge T. Macklin (7) says, "It is usually
stated that it (Mongolism) occurs more frequently in the later pregnancies owing either to
reproductive exhaustion or to too advanced age of the mother." We are concerned at this point for
evidence that will throw light on the relationship between the functioning of the pituitary body in the
base of the brain and the development of this type of facial and mental deformity. A striking case is that of a boy sixteen years of age who was a typical Mongolian idiot. He had
two sisters who were much older than he. His mother was a partial invalid when he was born late
in her life. We have no data relative to the details of the children who may have been lost. His
father was living and well except for a railroad injury. This boy at the age of sixteen was infantile in
many of his characteristics and developments. The genitals were those of a boy eight years old. The facial expression was that of the typical Mongolian idiot. By the Binet test he had a mentality
of about four years. Roentgenograms of his hands showed that the epiphyseal bones had not
united. He played on the floor with blocks and with rattles like a child. His interest was in children's
activities. (Fig. 125.) The outstanding physical characteristic was his maxillary arch which was so
much smaller than the mandibular arch that it went entirely inside it. In order to give him a
masticating surface, and with the hope of helping him both physically and mentally, since several
cases had greatly benefited by such an operation, I determined to widen his arch by moving the
maxillary bones apart about one-half inch. The position of his teeth before the moving of the bones
is shown in Fig. 126. Roentgenograms showing the opening of the median suture with increase of
pressure are also shown in Fig. 126. An important phase of this case was that the left nostril was
entirely occluded, and probably had been all his life. A rhinologist spent half an hour trying to
shrink the tissue with adrenalin and cocain sufficiently to get air or water through, and was not able
to do so. The quantity of air that he was able to inhale through his right nostril was so scant that he
continually breathed with his mouth open. At night he was forced to lie with something like his coat
rolled into a hard ridge and placed under the back of his neck and his head pushed far back to a
position that would open his mouth and retain it so, or he would awaken, strangling because of the
closing of his mouth.7/29/13 Nutrition and Physical Degeneration
gutenberg.net.au/ebooks02/0200251h.html#toc 221/250FIG. 125. These views show physical changes in the
mongoloid type due to movement of maxillary bones to
stimulate the pituitary gland in base of brain. Left, front and
side view before, center, front and side view in thirty days. Right, front and side view six months after. Aged sixteen,
infantile before, adolescent after operation. While he
improved mentally he was harmless before and a sex pervert
after operation and had to be placed in an institution. FIG. 126. These x-ray pictures show the position of the teeth
7/29/13 Nutrition and Physical Degeneration
gutenberg.net.au/ebooks02/0200251h.html#toc 222/250FIG. 126. These x-ray pictures show the position of the teeth
before operation to move maxillary bones; and progessively,
by the dates shown, the widening of the upper arch. In
twelve weeks' time the boy passed through adolescence. New bone rapidly filled in the space between the separated
bones. The space was retained with a fixed bridge carrying
two additional teeth. His mother was nearly fifty when he
was born. With the movement of the maxillary bones laterally, as shown progressively in Fig. 126, there
was a very great change in his physical development and mentality. He grew three inches in about
four months. His moustache started to grow immediately; and in twelve weeks' time the genitals
developed from those of a child to those of a man, and with it a sense of modesty. His mental
change was even more marked. The space between the maxillary bones was widened about one-
half inch in about thirty days. This lateral pressure on the maxillary bones was accomplished by
rigid attachments to the teeth of the two sides of the upper arch. The outward movement of the
maxillary bones (which form the roof of the mouth and sides of the nose) by pressure on the
temporal bones produced a tension downward on the floor of the anterior part of the brain, thus
stimulating the pituitary gland in the base of the brain. In a few weeks' time he passed through
stages that usually take several years. At first, he got behind the door to frighten us; later, he put
bent pins on chairs to see us jump when we sat down, and finally he became the cause of a
policeman's coming to the office from where he was conducting traffic on the corner below to find
who it was squirting water on him when his back was turned. He developed a great fondness for
calling people over the telephone, wanted to borrow my automobile to take his mother for a drive,
and with his arm caressingly about the shoulders of one of the secretaries, invited her to go with
him to a dance. All this change developed in about twelve weeks. A most remarkable event happened in connection with this procedure. He lived in another city,
and so, while with me, stayed in a boarding house at a little distance from my office in order that he
might have frequent, and almost constant attention. On his return to his home town, his efficiency
had increased to such an extent that his mother could send him with the money to the grocery store
with the order for the day's groceries, and he could bring back the right change and could tell when
it was correct. He could also come alone to me ninety miles by railroad and make two changes of
trains and the various transfers on the street cars of the city with accuracy and safety. He wore an appliance in his mouth to keep the bones in position. This appliance became
dislodged; the maxillary bones settled together; immediately, or in a day or two, he lapsed into his
old condition of lethargy accompanied by an old trouble, which had frequently been distressing,
namely, nausea, this sometimes lasting for twenty-four hours. With the readaptation of the
separating appliance and the reconstruction of the retaining appliance, he returned rapidly to his
improved condition. But a new problem had developed. We had changed an infant to a potential man with the
impulses of a man, but with the mind of a child. With the change in his physical condition he
became a menace in his community as a sex pervert. His mother died and his sister married. It
became necessary to have him placed in a state institution for defectives. During the period he was
in my care, he had learned to read child stories and newspaper headings, and had spent much time
doing so. The changes in his physical appearance are shown in Fig. 125, above, front view, and
below, side view. The first picture at the left shows his appearance before the operation; the
second, thirty days after; and the last, six months later. The opening produced in the upper arch in
front of half an inch was filled by supplying two teeth on a restoration, which at the same time held
the maxillary bones in their new position. In six months he had developed whiskers and moustache. The progressive changes in the position of the maxillary bones with the opening of the median
suture are shown in Fig. 126, together with the mechanical appliance. In the last view, the
restoration carrying the porcelain teeth to fill the space is shown. A very important contribution to our knowledge of the cause of Mongolism has recently been
published by Dr. Clemens E. Benda, (8) Clinical Director of the Wrentham State School,7/29/13 Nutrition and Physical Degeneration
gutenberg.net.au/ebooks02/0200251h.html#toc 223/250Wrentham, Massachusetts, in association with the Harvard Medical School of Boston. He and his
group have approached the problem of Mongolism from two different angles; first, as to determine
whether it is accidental, and second, whether it is a unit of symptoms which can be related to more
essential alteration. Their studies including careful anatomical studies have been made on the basis
of an examination of 125 Mongoloids. He states:
    Summarizing our investigations, the pituitary in mongoloids reveals a peculiar and definite
pathology. On the basis of fourteen cases we feel justified in emphasizing that in mongolism
definite failure of the pituitary development is to be found. Mongolism appears as a
hypopituitarism of a specific type, in which the absence or deficiency of basophiles seems to be
essential. The evidence indicates that this severe type of facial and brain injury is related directly to a
lowered reproductive capacity of the mother associated with age, since the majority are born to
mothers beyond forty years of age, and to an inadequate nutrition of the mother, particularly in
vitamin E since this vitamin plays so important a role in the nutrition of the pituitary body. Important new data have been provided in an analysis of births in the United States in
connection with the development of the Mongolian group. Bleyer (9)  has reported a study of 2,822
cases. He reports that of the total births in the United States in 1934, of 1,095,939, there were
1,822 reported as Mongoloids. The average age of the mothers of these individuals was forty-one
years. He reports data indicating that in the age group of mothers forty to forty-four the chances of
the development of a Mongoloid would be seventy-five times as high as normal expectancy, and in
the age forty-five to forty-nine the chances are 125 times normal expectancy. In a group of 1,942
Mongoloids, 1,100 or 57 per cent were last children. These data are in keeping with those of
several other investigators, and emphasize the problem of depleted reproductive capacity. The interesting problems involved in the birth of identical twins throw light on the origin of both
physical and mental characters. It is a matter of great significance in connection with these studies
that anomalies which we can associate with parental deficient nutrition are reproduced in both
twins. Important additional light has been thrown on this phase by a family of six pairs of fraternal
twins born to the same parents. These are reported by Dr. William W. Greulich, of New Haven. (10) It is significant that nine of these individuals (one of the oldest pair is deceased, and the
youngest twins are yet babes in arms) show marked narrowing of the nostrils and lack of
development of the middle third of the face, narrowing of the face and tendency to be mouth
breathers. Further, the severity of this condition appears to be progressively more severe in the
younger pairs of twins, sufficiently grown to show facial development. There is accordingly,
evidence here of progressive lowering of reproductive efficiency, and the fact that both individuals
are involved similarly has great significance, since they are fraternal twins arising from a single
ovum. This seems clearly to relate this disturbance with a deficient germ plasm. Factors that are
reproduced in identical twins would include both hereditary characters and those that are
produced by a disturbance in environment resulting in an interference with normal hereditary
processes. In a case of twins that are not identical, there is significance in the development of
similar deformities which are likely to be of acquired origin rather than of hereditary origin. In Fig. 127 is seen a pair of twins. Note that they have similar disturbance in the development of the
dental arches with the upper laterals depressed and the cuspids crowded outward in the arch. FIG. 127. These boys are twins, not identical. Note, however,
both have same type of deformity of the dental arch,
7/29/13 Nutrition and Physical Degeneration
gutenberg.net.au/ebooks02/0200251h.html#toc 224/250apparently due to the same cause. A very important source of information which deals with the relation of disturbances of the
physical development of the head and mentality is provided by a study of the members of the teen-
age group who are classed as mentally backward. In an examination of a Cleveland school in a
colored district that has been set aside largely for boys and girls who are distinctly deficient in their
ability to learn, it was disclosed that a very large percentage suffered from gross facial deformities
when judged by these standards. Typical individuals in this group are shown in Fig. 128, one is
white, lower left. It is clear that these boys were all physically injured in the formative period. Their
clinical history indicates that the brain was involved in this disturbed development. FIG. 128. These four boys are typical of a group of several
hundred in a special school for backward children. Practically
all showed some evidence of incomplete facial and dental
arch development. The range of defects is wide. Blacks are
similarly injured as whites. This is inhibited heredity. One of the problems involved in the development of the group of disturbances having physical
and mental expressions, is associated with the sensitiveness of the body during the period of
adolescence. Many students of degenerative problems have emphasized various phases of this
large problem. Burt" commented: "It is almost as though crime were some contagious disease, to
which the constitutionally susceptible were suddenly exposed at puberty, or to which puberty left
them peculiarly prone." The age of adolescence is also the period of greatest susceptibility to
dental caries. Data derived from chemical studies of the blood and saliva show that in this period
of susceptibility to dental caries the supplies of minerals and vitamins are inadequate to meet
Nature's demands, and the system borrows minerals from the skeleton to maintain vital processes. Lichtenstein and Brown (12) report data which reveal that educational quotients, like intelligence
quotients, fall with increase in age during the years of developing puberty. They show that the
educational quotient at nine years of age for the group studied was 100; at eleven years of age, 89;
at twelve years, 83; and at thirteen years, 74. The changes in facial and dental arch form, which I
have described at length in this volume, develop in this age period also, not as a result of faulty
nutrition of the individual but as the result of distortions in the architectural design in the very early
part of the formative period.
Nutrition_and_Physical_Degeneration_by_Weston_Price.txt
Summarize the following text section accurately and concisely. Maintain specific details and numerical information, and use anti-repetition mechanisms:

        They also found that the same result could be produced in the winter by
keeping the sires in heated rooms or by applying heat externally. They further found that when the7/29/13 Nutrition and Physical Degeneration
gutenberg. net. au/ebooks02/0200251h. html#toc 208/250percentage of abnormal sperm was high a condition of sterility was apparently established. In a
personal communication from Professor McKenzie he states that their inference is that with a high
percentage of abnormal sperm the ova either are not fertilized or that fertilization takes place and
that prenatal death occurs in a certain number of the cases, and that there is an appreciable
prenatal death loss in sheep, horses, cattle, and swine. I have referred to the data presented by
Mall indicating that 15 per cent of human conceptions in England are expelled as deformities in the
second and third month of gestation. McKenzie also presents data relating to swine in which a sire
that showed a high percentage of abnormal sperm was bred to two groups of sows of similar
breed. One was maintained in a barn without access to pasture, the other received similar rations
plus access to pasture. The group without pasture produced a high percentage of mummies, small
litters, and abnormal pigs (open abdominal walls with viscera protruding and exposed spine in the
region of the lumbar vertebrae). The second group on the same food with the addition of pasturage
produced normally large-size litters without mummies. The following year this experiment was
repeated reversing the groups of sows and using a similar high percentage of defective sperm in the
same sire. The same results occurred, with the group maintained without access to pasture. This
emphasizes the need for the vitamins and minerals that are provided in natural foods, particularly
vitamin A and seems to relate to the studies of Hale in which the absence of vitamin A produced
gross defects. These studies on domestic animals strongly emphasize the necessity that both
parents shall have adequate nutrition before conception occurs and subsequently for the mother. Until very recently there has been exceedingly little literature dealing with the factors contributing
to the abnormal development of fetuses in either domestic animals or humans. Williams, who is one
of the few students of this problem as it relates to domestic animals, in referring to this phase has
commented that there is no treatise in the English language on teratology (development of
monsters) in domestic animals. (16) He emphasizes that these defects are growing in numbers and
economic importance. He refers to Burki's studies in Switzerland indicating that this difficulty has
constantly and enormously increased in his territory. This veterinary has asked "Are our cows
degenerating. " It is of interest that a type of deformity commonly recognized among veterinaries as
a distortion of the head presenting a lack of development of the bones of the middle part of the
face including the upper jaw is commonly called "bull-dog calf. " This is particularly important in
connection with the frequent human deficiency of lack of development in the middle third of the
face. Williams emphasizes the common knowledge that Boston bull-dogs are not prolific and
because of the difficulty of giving birth to their young, some veterinarians resort routinely to
caesarian section. Fortunately, seriously deformed specimens are seldom born alive and usually do
not continue to term. Williams states that Loje has observed ten grossly deformed calves of a
particular type that were traced to the same sire; also a series of five with this deformity reported
by Hutt were traced to one sire. Among the deformities in domestic animals cleft palate or absence
of palate is very common. These studies on domestic animals strongly emphasize two facts; first,
that deformities among these animals are very similar to those that develop in humans, and second,
that the defects are largely related to the original germ cells and that the male may provide the
defect quite as well as the female. Several of the primitive races have understood and provided
against these mishaps. Moench and Holt of the Cornell Medical School and New York Hospital (17) have made
important studies on humans and have found a very high incidence of sterility when abnormal forms
of spermatozoa reached 25 per cent. Among the abnormal forms they found one particular family
with a particular type of abnormal sperm reaching 12 per cent. Their breeding record was
decidedly bad and fetal malformations repeatedly occurred. In their group, in 63 sterile matings the
men were normal 21 times and abnormal 37 times. They listed over 40 different abnormal or
deformed types of sperm. They conclude:
1. In a normal semen the abnormal sperm heads do not exceed 19 to 20 per cent. 2. When the sperm head abnormalities reach 20 to 23 per cent, impaired fertility can be
assumed. 3. When the sperm head abnormalities are above 25 per cent, clinical sterility is usually
present. 7/29/13 Nutrition and Physical Degeneration
gutenberg.
25%
What percentage of abnormal sperm was found in a study by Moench and Holt?
The study suggests that the pituitary body plays a crucial role in the development of facial and dental arches, and that its deficiency can lead to deformities.
What is the significance of the study on the relationship between the pituitary body and facial and dental arch development?
Dr. Mortimer's study concludes that Mongolism is caused by a deficiency of vitamin E and inadequate nutrition during the prenatal period.
What is the main conclusion of Dr. Hector Mortimer's study on Mongolism?
The study suggests that the age of the mother is a significant factor in the development of Mongolism, as the majority of Mongoloid individuals were born to mothers over 40 years of age.
What is the relationship between the age of the mother and the development of Mongolism, according to the study?
The study suggests that the pituitary body plays a crucial role in the development of the brain, and that its deficiency can lead to defects and abnormalities.
What is the main point of the study on the relationship between the pituitary body and the development of the brain?