THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 1912. RACE BETTERMENT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15553, 7 September 1912, Page 8

THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 1912. RACE BETTERMENT.

The information now to hind respecting the papers read, and discussions entered into at the first International Eugenics Congress, held at'the University of London in July fast, indicates the great importance and widespread iiifluuico of that gathering. From America, I'rancc, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Grccoo camo a number of renowned scientists, • sociologists, and medical men intent on endeavouring to solve the perplexing problem of race betterment. That tho human race is in danger of serious degeneracy, both physical and mental, is a conclusion at which many thoughtful people in all nations havo arrived, and it is agreed by them that stops should ba taken to provide a remedy. The domi-

rant noto struck by tho speakers, with but few exceptions, at tho Eugenics Congrcsl wis, however, that for the present it '» necessary to proceed warily, and that education, rather than drastic legisMbn, is tho path to progress and peunaiicnl improvement. The foundation of ; tho science of eugenics is biological reiearch,' yet .Professor Puimclt, who hclda the chair of Biology at Cambridge University, and has a world-wido rcputition for his writings on the Mendclian theory, did not hesitate- to say-. " Except jn very fow cases our knowledge of heredity in man is nt present far too sight and 100 uncertain to base legislation upon. On the other hand, experience'derived from plants and animals has stown that problems of considerable compbxity can bo unravelled by tho experimental method and tho characters concerned being brought under control. Tkongh tho direct method is hardly feasible in man, much may be learnt by cdlccting accurate pedigrees and comparirg them with standard cases worked out ii other animals. But it must bo clearly ncognisod that tho collection of such pedigrees is an arduous undertaking, demandbg high.critical ability and only to bo <wried out satisfactorily by those who havo been trained in, and arc alive to, tho trmd of genetic research." Professor Hoiseay, of the.. University of Paris, ap.ly dofincd eugenics as "a social application of biological science," which must bo judged by its tendencies. If these leniencies aro adjusted to principles gcrerally admitted, " the questions which eugenics seeks to answer would bo reduced to questions of hygicno and morals." To this dictum Professor S. G. Snith, of Minnesota, made an imporLant addition when ho insiskd upon tho "n«d to develop a new ethical senso of the indivitlu.il in regard to his own relation to the Bocial group." Yot this American sociologist hastened to, add: "Wo havo not yet sufficient facts to estAlish a definite relation between phjiical fitness and social' efficiency. I'hii is tho place for caution." On tho other hand, l)r Louis Querlon, of Brmscut University, insisted that "the control of tho development of the children at the different phases t of their cvohtion is strictly necessary to nssure tho education of tho individual and to chec't tho degeneration of tho race." Sinct, therefore, experimental biological research in regard to man is not generally feasible, tho progress of tho science of eugenics must necessarily depend largdy upon tho statistical method. In this tho Governments of tho world aro best!ablo to load tho way. Tho regularly recurring census affords an admirable, medium for such research. Jl. Lucicn March, tho French statistician, cmrimsisefl tho point that "statistics of families furnish perhaps tho most appropriate data for the examination of tho factors which govern tho productiveness of liarriagcs or their sterility." And, as illiutrativo of what can be done in this direction, ho cited tho fact that statistics concerning tho children bom in the cloven

end a-half million French families, classed according to occupation, havo been prepared for the first timo as a result of the census ol '1906. These statistics give information as lo the number of children per family in each occupation, for all Hie families in the whole country taken together, and for tho different provinces. From theso figures tho French statistician deduces tho following:—" It docs not appear that in Franco casual and unskilled labourers, persons in the receipt of poor , law relief, etc; aro specially prolific. Thcro Jb not thus in reality too much risk of seeing tho renewal of tho population carried oiit in a. dangerous manner by its least valuable section."

' Dr F. A, .Woods, of the Harvard ■Medical School, dealing with tho intorrclalion botwecn eugenics and historical research, 'claimed that " history and genealogy both 6pcak unmistakably (or heredity." Dr Corra<io Gini, professor of Statistics in tho Italian Royal University, states, liowcvcr, thai "for somoi classes of tho unfit (mad, consumptives, Biiicides) it can bo proved beyond question that tho number of children born i is less and their mortality greater than among married pooplo generally." In, addition to theso generalisations, which all have their interest for students of the Subject*, special attention was devoted in thosection on "Mcdicino and Eugenics " to tho cfTcct of alcohol on tho germ plasm. Dr Alfred Mjoen, ns tho result of enquiries based on the now alcohol legislation in Norway, arrived at somo most instructive conclusions. "The injurious effect of alcohol," ho said, " doponds not only upon the amount taken but also upon other factors—e.g., upon its dilution and upon tho,kind of nourishment taken with it. There can bo no doubt alcohol undor a certain percentage neither injures nor can injure the somatic cells, or, what is more important for raco hygiene, tho germ cells, And, on tho other bund, it must be regarded as proved that alcohol over a certain percentage, is injurious to tho quality of the offspring, not alono where tho mother drinks (influence upon tho embryo), but also where tho father alono drinks (destruction. of tho germ). Tho latest investigation in this field confirms this assumption." As a remedy for alcoholism Dr Mjoen proposes to divide alcoholic liquors into two classes and to.deal with them by legislation according to tho amount of their contents of alcohol—in other words, according to their iiijiiriousness. If this scientific conclusion bo generally accepted ai.d it can bo clearly demonstrated that there are alcoholic beverages which aro not injurious to tho health and future of tho race, tho temperanco problem may be considered as solved in a maimer which will appeal to all classes, except perhaps the extremists. As indicating the direction from which tho eugenic education of the fuluro may be expected to cmanato, tho paper'given by Mr H. E. Jordan, cm American delegate, may be regarded as extremely valuable. Mr Jordan gives three reasons why eugenk-s deserves a place ih tho medical curriculum: "(1) Medicine, is fast becoming a science of tho prevention of weakness and morbidity, their permanent not temporary cure; their racial extinction 1 rather limit their personal palliation. The coming physician" must have adequate training in matters relating to heredity and eugenics. (2) As the general population becomes better educated in matters of personal and racial health, it will more and move, demand advice regarding tho prevention of weakness in themselves and their otfspring. The physicians are logically the men who must give it. (5) Physicians will be more ellicient public servants ii they approach their work with the eugenic outlook on life." There is a hopeful future in front of tho cugenist if tho pnysici&n rather than tha legislator enters tho eugenic field ajid incorporates this science into his everyday practice. In this way, one of the chief prejudices lias a good chance of being removed, for

tho average man, who hitherto has regarded Eugenics as the fed of a little group of scientists and busybodics, will give due heed to the warnings and advice of the family doctor.