Eugenics / by A.M. Carr-Saunders.

  • Alexander Carr-Saunders
Date:
[1926], ©1926
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)

Credit: Eugenics / by A.M. Carr-Saunders. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    ordered by a court in the cases of certain classes of persons who are convicted of certain offences. It will be observed that sterilisa tion is not performed upon any defectives of particular grades, but only upon those who happen to be found in particular State institu tions. Up to January 1921, 2233 persons had been sterilised in America in accordance with these laws. Insane, feeble-minded and criminal persons had been treated, but opera tions had not up to that time been performed upon alcoholic, diseased or physically defective persons. It is evident that by some such provisions as these not only could the increase of persons with particular defects be stopped, but the strains bearing these defects might in time be eliminated altogether from the population. The following questions may be asked. To whom should apply such regulations as may be made ? Is there not a danger that valuable qualities will be lost altogether with the defects ? How long would elimination take ? Let us consider these points. There is evidence that poor physique is not correlated with good mental endowments. It would thus appear that the elimination of physical defects would at least not damage the mental endowment of the race. It is frequently suggested, and sometimes definitely stated, that certain very desirable mental qualities are often accompanied by epilepsy and other mental disorders. In particular it
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