So we are born with an endocrine system shaped by not only exposure to maternal stress hormones, but also the experiences of her maternal forebears as each generation was molded by the collective experience. Paternal historical influence is present as well and a reflection of their treatment of the women in their lives. Finally, the tolerance of abuse and the support or neglect of church and state all accumulate over the ages in the child.

This "epigenetic" transfer of the life-experience of the mother influences not only er children but also her grandchildren and maybe more. I'm going to repeat that - the stresses encountered by a pregnant woman influence at least two following generations. If you think about this for a minute, it gets kind of scary.

In a traditional community where stress was acute, the effects would tend to die away like an echo. We are built to handle acute stress.

But what of the Brave New World of 1750 London? Streets teeming with strangers drawn from the protective village by the money. Family left far behind, there is no safety net. Horrible working conditions. Air black with coal smoke. Chronic stress that was continually reinforced did not die away. We are not built to handle chronic stress.

What happens in a society when the effects of stress accumulate across generations? That stress climbs steadily as each generation of babies has a few more who have been sensitized and who will tend to produce even more. And at some point a threshold is crossed. Strange new diseases and disorders appear. The canaries begin to die.

<Sigh... That isn't what I intended to write, but it is late. G'nite.>