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Many of the parents classed as unstable were also inferior, showing that although
comparatively few of the children had parents who were at some stage regarded as
themselves defective nearly 40 per cent. had parents who were distinctly inferior.
As it may well have been that some were classed as average from paucity of information,
it is probable that this figure should be raised to 50 per cent. On the
other hand, some inferior and mentally defective children were the offspring of
parents equal to, or even surpassing, the average in intelligence; this was the more
marked in the group of imbeciles. Many of the defective children who were the
offspring of normal or superior parents were of the mongol, cretin or plegic types.

As was expected the number of defective siblings varied directly with the
status of the individual with whom the investigation started, there being more
defective siblings of mentally defective than of merely inferior children.
One mother was anxious for her boy to go the the special (M.D.) school because
so many of his family had been there, while on the other hand, one mentally
defective child had three brothers and sisters who had won scholarships. Also it
was interesting to note that whilst most of the children of mentally defective mothers
were neglected there was one example in which such a child had won the prize at a
baby show.
The numbers are, of course, too small to form the basis of conclusions, but they
illustrate the common experience of certifying officers and agree with the findings
of the investigator for the "Wood Committee." They are also confirmed by the
notes made by a very experienced headmistress of a special school on 66 of her pupils
which, when classified by Dr. Williams on the same lines as the foregoing, showed:—
Parents. No. Per cent.
Superior 6 9
Average 36 54
Inferior 10 15
Unstable 11 17
Defectives 3 5
Siblings. No. Per cent.
Superior 1 1.5
Average 53 80.5
Defective 12 18.0
This headmistress also gave details of certain striking cases which illustrated
the effects of ancestry:—
J.W.—Unstable type of M.D. Mother excitable and markedly inferior. Father
intelligent, three other children M.D.
R.H.—M.D. Father very unstable and inferior. Mother very inferior, not quite
M.D. Two other children M.D.
M.N.—M.D. high grade. Father and mother, both superior. Mother's father illiterate
but said to have been normal, four other children M.D.
L.H.—M.D. very unstable. Father intelligent but tuberculous. Mother is M.D.
The other child is highly intelligent.
J.H.—M.D. very unstable. Father brutal but well educated. Mother nervous, not
inferior mentally. A brother is M.D. A grand-parent died in an asylum.
S.S.—M.D. paralysed. Father normal. Mother very intelligent. Grandparents
normal. 20 children born but only 10 alive, all above average intelligence except this boy.
L.W.—M.D. (premature and weakly baby). Father alcoholic. Mother superior in all
ways. 6 brothers and sisters all normal.
L.C.—M.D. Father distinctly superior. Mother rather unstable. Two grandparents
unstable and another illiterate. The other child is normal.
F.H.—M.D. Father intelligent but unstable (alcoholic). Mother normal. A grandparent
was a notoriously bad character. There were 14 children born, but only 5 survived,
all normal except this girl.