BEFORE MARRIAGE

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 10, 7 October 1936, Page 3

BEFORE MARRIAGE

A Clean Bill of Health MOVEMENT GROWS Throughout the world attention is being focused on health examinations before marriage as a means of controlling the spread of venereal or sex diseases, as a means of detecting the beginnings of chronic or degenerative diseases in their early stages and as a means of determination of the presence in either the bride or bridegroom of some physical or mental disturbance that may interfere with a happy and successful marriage, states “Hygeia” (Chicago). It is taken for granted that a suitable marriage is one in which the persons concerned may be compatible in both their mental and physical relationships and in which they may have children if they so desire. The Eugenic Society of Great Britain has outlined the steps to be followed’in a suitable pre-marital examination made by the family physician. Such an examination includes the occupation of the person to be examined, ,his age, his record as to previous marriage and whether or not there been children. . The doctor finds out-whether or not the person is related by blood to the one he is to ‘marry. The possibility of intensifying in the children either the good or bad cljaracteristlcs by marriage of relatives is an Important consideration. First Cousins? For years there has been a superstition that cousins, particularly first cousins, should not marry. Modern eugenics does not condemn such marriages provided there are no harmful characteristics or conditions likely to be transmitted in intensified form by the marriage. In order to determine the presence of inheritable conditions., the doctor investigates the condition of health of all the ancestors on both sides as far back as grandparents and great-grandparents. Thus he may learn the causes of death of all those in the ancestry and whether or not they suffered from conditions likely to run in the family. The doctor also endeavours to find out whether any of the known relatives suffer with cases of nervousness, nervous breakdowns. mental disturbances or defects, insanity, fainUng spells, convulsions or fits, cases of drug addiction, or incidences of suicides. ■ The doctor will inquire particularly concerning such diseases as tuberculosis, diabetes, asthma, and such failures of the special senses as blindness or deafness early in life. The presence of nervous troubles including fits of crying, periods of depression and the occurrence of morbid, fears, such as the fear of traffic, of open er closed spaces, of thuiwlerstorms, of animals or diseases, may be of the greatest importance in preventing a happy married life.

The doctor inquires finally as to the knowledge of the persons concerned relating to physical- relationships between the sexes. .When there

is insufficient understanding of these relationships, suitable explanations by the physician may do much to ensure against mental or physical traumas which are likely to be of importance in later life. Following these preliminary steps the doctors will make a complete physical examination internally and externally to determine the presence of abnormalities, tumours, infectious diseases and similar disturbances.