ie Antoinette became white in a
short time. During the solitary voyage of Madame Condamine down the wild
and lonely Amazon, a similar change took place. Many other instances
might be adduced; but those given are sufficient to show that strong and
persistent mental impressions will exert a mysterious transforming power
over the body. These facts will pave the way to the consideration of
corresponding effects, through the mother's mind, upon the development
of the unborn child, forming a part of herself _in utero._

_Influence of mind of mother on form and color of infant._--There are
numerous facts on record which prove that _habitual_, long-continued
mental conditions of the mother at an early period of pregnancy, induce
deformity or other abnormal development of the infant.

Professor William A. Hammond of New York relates the following striking
case, which occurred in his own experience, and which scarcely admits of
a doubt as to the influence of the maternal mind over the physical
structure of the foetus.

A lady in the third month of her pregnancy was very much horrified by
her husband being brought home one evening with a severe wound of the
face, from which the blood was streaming. The shock to her was so great
that she fainted, and subsequently had a hysterical attack, during which
she was under Dr. Hammond's care. Soon after her recovery she told him
that she was afraid her child would be affected in some way, and that
even then she could not get rid of the impression the sight of her
husband's bloody face had made upon her. In due time the child, a girl,
was born. She had a dark red mark upon the face, corresponding in
situation and extent with that which had been upon her father's face.
She also proved to be idiotic.

Professor Dalton of New York states that the wife of the janitor of the
College of Physicians and Surgeons of that city, during her pregnancy,
dreamed that she saw a man who had lost a part of the ear. The dream
made a great impression upon her mind, and she mentioned it to her
husband. When her child was born, a portion of one ear was deficient,
and the organ was exactly like the defective ear she had seen in her
dream. When Professor Dalton was lecturing upon the development of the
foetus as affected by the mind of the mother, the janitor called his
attention to the foregoing instance. The ear looks exactly as if a
portion had been cut off with a sharp knife.

Professor J. Lewis Smith of B