Eugenics / by Edgar Schuster.

  • Schuster, Edgar.
Date:
[1912]
Catalogue details

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

Credit: Eugenics / by Edgar Schuster. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    246 EUGENICS treated in the Jefferson ville reformatory since November, 1910. Besides inquiring into the nature of these laws, and the extent of their practical appli¬ cation, the committee took special pains to find out what physical or psychical changes were produced on the persons operated on, and whether any undesigned hardship or discomfort was inflicted or any risk entailed. They found that the operation usually per¬ formed on men is simple and practicable, that it is attended by no risk or discomfort, and does not interfere with the sexual func¬ tions except in attaining its object of prevent¬ ing procreation. It does not appear to modify the mental or moral character in any unde¬ sirable way. There are three different opera¬ tions of a parallel nature which may be per¬ formed on women, but none of them is wholly free from danger to life or of disturbance in other bodily and mental functions. The enactment of these laws in America has not been due to any general demand for them. They were carried through owing to the enthusiasm of quite a small number of people among a public caring for none of such things. In some States where bills were introduced a hostile attitude taken up by one determined person was enough to prevent them becoming law. Sterilisation inflicted compulsorily under such a law as that of Indiana is in effect a punishment