The record-union., 1897-07-02
To REFORM MARRIAGE.
A FrenChman Who Would Benefit His
Country.
Existence of Hereditary Disease in
Either Parent Sufficient Ground
for Divorce.

DR.. Toulouse of Paris is certainly a
man Of original ideas. Quite recently,
as readers of the Herald know, he
startled Europe by his audacious book
on Zola, and now he comes forward with
an extraordinary proposition in regard
to the time-honored institution of mar
riage. Here are his views on the sub
ject: Persons of weak constitution or
who have any disease lurking in their
system, he says, and especially those
suffering from consumption, epilepsy, a
cancerous growth, mental imbecility or
frequently have sickly or
badly formed children, who are stamp
ed with the physical or mental blem-
ishes of their parents, from the evil ef-
fects of which they are wholly unable
to escape. Still this form of heredity,
though extremely frequent, is not ia
tai; it assumes the most unexpected
disgllises, and hence the malady inher
tied by the child sometimes differs very
much from that which affiicts the
father.
For this reason it is impossible to
frame a law prohibiting certain classes
of persons in modern society from mar
rying. And yet, asks DR.. Toulouse, is
it not deplorable to see so many un-
happy persons born daily into the
world who are doomed by their very or
igin to be degenerates? He has been
brooding over this subject for some
time, and now comes forward with a
remedy.
,Ys,.i.a 100 bk, ir1tc ic
contract, the object of which is to in
sure the perpetufty and prosperity OF
the human race This contract then,
considered from a purely sanitary point
of view should always be made in good
faith. Health is a more important fac
tor in married life than money, and the
man who conceals from his intended
bride the existence of any hereditary
and presumably any acquired-dis-
ease is as guilty of a breach of truth
as though he We're to conceal from her
the fact that ire was ON the verge OF
bankruptcy.
In common justice, then, says DR..
Toulouse the marriage contract should
be reversible in all cases where there is
any deception in this matter Of disease,
and a divorce should promptly be
granted. Only in this way can we be
assured Of happy marriages, healthy
children and a prosperous society.
But he goes even further. If a hus-
band or a WIFE he says, conceal the
existence of a hereditary blemish, and
if there is born to this couple a child
who is continually sick, unable to earn
a livelihood, and who is an exceptional
expense TO the parents, then that par
ent, who has deceived the other should
be compelledto pay the other marriage
partner large amount of damages. DR..
Toulouse thinks that a law should be
passed to this effect, and he explains
how it could easily be made operative.
Furthermore, he claims that a bureau
should be established with the object OF
looking after the health of individuals.
In other words, he proposes that this
bureau shall be furnished with pass
ports showing the condition of health
Of aH persons in the community. A
recent law obliges physicians to keep
q record of all cases of contagious dis
eases which are brought to their no.
tice, and DR.. Toulouse maintains that
the same precastion should be OBJ
tai maladies and of all others which
af1iict the race and are likely to be
transmitted from one generation to
another. If this were done the result
would be that the authorities would
Lave under their hands and could see
at a glance the mental and physical
condition of all persons within their
jurisdiction.
Each passport, it is suggested, should
bear number, and in this way the
identity of the person described therein
would only be known to the chief of
the bureau and to one or two confiden-
tial clerks. In other words, it would
be a strictly professional secret. In
one sense, too, these passports would
only be of scientific interest, for it is
not suggested that they should be
brought into use in the case of persons
about to marry. Without the aid Of
these telltale documents, however it is
difficult to see how persons applying for
q divorce or for pecuniary damages in
the case of sickly children could always
their claims.
DR.. Toulouse, so far as I can learn
does not suggest that they should be
CSed lot SucH purposes, but some OF
his critics do not refrain from limiting
that the passports may be used in this
way. They also point out that in times
of general elections these documents
showing the mental and physical status
of all persons, might prove of great
service, at least. in the hands of an
Government.
But this is not the only objection
which has been made to DR.. Toulouse's
law.
Theoretically" says DR.. Maurice de
Fleury, his idea is just, but in practice
it would almost certainly give rise to
auarrels and interminable and singu-
larly painful lawsuits. DR.. Toulouse
knows as we'll as 1 do that homeopathic
heredity is rarely one sided and that
a mysterious attraction impels the of
Tending parties to seek each others
society, to live together, to get merried
and to give life to children, who will
partake of their double blemish, and
who will, so to speak, be doubly de-
generate, as though implacable nature
were Fastening to make an end of such
an effete race. New York World
The most dangerous waters in the
world for the passage of ships lie off
the east coast Of England, Cape Ushant.