Genetics in the Madhouse: The Unknown History of Human Heredity

Placeholder author icon
By Theodore M. Porter *81

Published March 7, 2018

Before we knew about genes, doctors pointed to heredity as a cause for madness, and they, along with government officials, became obsessed with preventing families of the insane from reproducing. Genetics in the Madhouse (Princeton University Press) looks at the data techniques used, and how they developed eugenics.

Paw in print

Image
The cover of PAW’s November 2025 issue, featuring a photo of a space probe and the headline "Made in Princeton."
The Latest Issue

November 2025

NASA’s new IMAP mission, London’s big data detective, AI challenges in the classroom.