NOTES OF THE DAY.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1986, 17 February 1914, Page 6

NOTES OF THE DAY.

Dr. Trudy King had some timely words to say in a lecture at Auckland a few days ago on the much-dis-cussed problem of heredity and environment. So strongly protested against the fatalistic idea that heredity did everything and environment nothing. This feeling of helplessness is no doubt fostered by a certain phase of present-day scientific teaching which lays great stress on the integrity of the germ plasm and minimises the. ability of the individual to transmit acquired characteristics' to his offspring. This, leads many peopte to the conclusion that it is of very little use from a racial point of view to improve the standard of life of any section of the ce-tiittiunity, because the resulting benefit to the health and general fitness of the individuals of which it is composed is not handed on to. their descendants.; What then, it may be asked, is the cause of what is generally known as family likeness? ""The child is like the parent," savs one- authority,- "not because .it is produced from the parent,, but because both child and parent are 'produced from the same ■ stock of germ plasm." This point of view at first sight is rather discouraging to the social reformer who believes that a continual improvement of the environment of the people will result in the progressive betterment of the race; and Dr. King's viow is quite refreshing to drooping spirits. He boldly asserts that "environment can knock heredity into a cocked hat." This opinion is certainly at variance with the teaching of an influential section of .the scientific World; but considering the great uncertainty that surrounds the whole question, he is quite justified in adopting the more optimistic standpoint. But whichever view of the matter may eventually prove to fai correct, environment must always be an important factor in human life. It may be true, as Heine once said, that "a maji should be very careful ifi the selection of his parents"; but it is equally true that "good nurture" is almost as import: ant as "good nature." Heredity and environment really go hand in hand. Professor. J. A. Thojisoj? sums up the mattej' very concisely when he states that although, what is acquired may not be inherited, vhab is not in- 1 herited may bo acquired. "Tims," he adds, "we are led to direct our energies even more strenuously to the business of reimpressing desirable modifications,. and therefore to developing our functions and environments in the direction of progress."