STERILISATION.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 17, 20 January 1934, Page 7

STERILISATION.

BRITISH OPINION

EXPERTS ADVOCATE IT.

HEREDITY AND DEFECTS.

Acute controversy is "certain to be aroused by the report of the Departmental Committee 011 the Sterilisation of Mental Defectives, states a London exchange. The committee was appointed by the Minister of Health, Sir Hilton Young, in June of last year to make a general survey of the problem, consider the hereditary influences of mental deficiency and suggest what further inquiries might usefully be undertaken. The view of the committee, it is understood, is that sterilisation is an effective method of reducing very greatly the proportion of mental defectives in the population of the future, and that a very great saving of public expenditure would result. A Royal Commission? This would be due to the reduction in the number of institution cases and of criminals, three out. of every four of whom are classed as mental defectives, i It is expected that the report will form j the scientific basis of a complete examination of the whole subject by another j committee, possibly a Royal Commission. The most alarming fact that faced the committee —indeed, it was the principal cause of their appointment—is the enormous increase in the number of mental defectives 111 recent years. Statistics show that in 20 years the number advanced alarmingly per thousand of the population of England and Wales, and that last year the total was 314,000. j Of these 2.">.000 were Under supervision ! in institutions, the remainder being free I to marry and have children. Heredity Conflict. On the question of heredity, the committee found a considerable conflict of opinion. . Some doctors are of opinion that 80 per cent of mental deficiency is transmitted to the children.

On the other hand, there is a wide range of experience of sane children born to defective parents, and so the beliel that the taint may skip a generation or even more, and appear later. Mr. L. G. Brock, chairman of the Board of Control, was the chairman of the committee, the other members being mainly doctors or mental specialists. There was one woman member —MW Ruth Darwin, a granddaughter ot Charles Darwin.

A summary of the committee's report is published 011 our cable pajje to-day.