Seven ambitious brothers and how they bred a race of kings / editor: Henry Smith Williams, M.D., LL.D.

Date:
[1914]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Seven ambitious brothers and how they bred a race of kings / editor: Henry Smith Williams, M.D., LL.D. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    part ignored in breeding men. To-day the word eugenics is heard on every side and the idea for which it stands is in the air. It is a new word, and most people perhaps suppose that the idea is also new. But this is fallacious. I have cited the case of the seven brothers—a perfectly authenti- cated historical case which will further claim our attention in a later monograph—to give tangible illustration of the fact that practical eugenics as applied to the human race is no new art. The new thing is merely that nowadays we should begin to think it worth while to apply this art to humanity in general, whereas hitherto it has been reserved for the breed of kings. NEW KNOWLEDGE FROM PLANT BREEDING It is true, however, that we have gained in recent years a great deal of precise knowledge as to the laws of heredity and as to their practical application. In particular it has come to be recog- nized more and more fully that the same laws of heredity apply to all living creatures, and that cor- rect inferences may be drawn from observation not merely of lower animals, but also of plants, as to the application of the laws of heredity to humankind. This is peculiarly fortunate because plants offer in many ways better opportunities for obser- [5 ] ie
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