Rocky Ford enterprise., 1910-03-18
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BAR DRUNKARDs AS PARENTS
Noted Authority Declares Paternai Al
cohoIism Quite Sufficient to
Produce Degeneracy.

DIR. C. w. Salesby, F. r. s., of Edin-
burg, in a recent article on Drink
and Heredity,'' said among other
things:
One student of the alcohol question,
DIR. Archdall Reid, in his book "Alco-
| holisms," goes SO far as to declare
that only one really effective temper
ance measure is conceivable-that
which forbids parentage to the drunk
ard. Though 1t is impossible. ! be-
lieve, to accept DR.. Reid's argument
as the whole truth. undoubtedly it con-
tains a great measure of the most
Important truth. In the first place. we
must recognize-and the conclusion is
at once scientific and charitable-that
In large proportion of cases the
drunkard was predestined to his fate.
In other words, he has an innate de-
feet of brain upon which his predis-
position and fall depend. This defect
of brain being innate, is transmissible.
and is frequently, If not always. trans
mitted, according to the well-known
laws OF Inheritance. Just, then, as in
sanity of congenital origin should dis
qualify for the parentage of the race
that is to inhabit the promised land.
SO the defect of the brain. which un-
| derlies much alcoholism, should dis
qualify its possessor from the supreme
privilege. Its relations to obvious in
sanity are too intimate to be denied.
In the second place. We may be as
sured that chronic alcoholism should
dIsqualify for parentage even in cases
where we cannot convince ourselves
that 1t depends upon an inherent and
original defect of brain. For even
though there has been no such de-
feet and even though the modern
teaching OF heredity denies that an ac-
quired defect Of the brain. due to al
coholic poisoning. can be transmitted.
yet we are also empowered to believe
that the constant circulation of alco-
hol in the blood of the individual Is
prejudicial to the germ-plasm. poisons
those racial elements OF which he or
she is the ephemeral host. and SO
makes for future disaster.
II we had to choose between pro-
hibiting the parentage for the alco-
holic woman, on the one hand. and the
alcoholic man on the other. 1t is OF
course the woman whom we should
disbar. knowing the intimacy of the
relations that subsist between her and
her child. 1t has been lately shown
however, that even paternal. alcohol.
Ism Is quite sufficient to produce in
disputable degeneracy In the offspring
Lastly. 1t may be noted that. even
apart from any questions OF heredity.
the environment of the alcoholic home
| c ,nt a
coming race. even though the children
were only adopted into 1t and were
born OF Imprisoned parents.
From this point Of view. 1t will be
seen that n new Significance attaches
to modern methods of dealing with the
chronic drunkard. II Is to be hoped
that We have done for ever with the
criminal and outrageous folly OF SEN
fencing n Jane Cakebread to short
terms OF imprisonment for drunken
ness on hundreds of occasions. The
principle of the inebriate home must
be made universal. 1t will be pointed
out, and truly. alas. that the home"
and the ''reformatory' almost con-
stantly fail in effecting reformation
This we can the more readily under
stand If we remember that the drunk
ards vice so often depends upon an
innate and necessarily incurable state
OF the brain. Yet whilst this fact will
gravely qualify our expectations for
the individual. It incaiculably en-
hances the value of these modern
meahods from the point OF view of the
race.
/ do not think that In common ar
guments on the subject this point is
at all adequately realized. People say
that reformation is not effected; they
point out especially with what truth
l know mott, that reformation of the
female drunkard in particular is not
effected. and they conclude that the
method Is futile and to be condemned
They do not realize that the method
would be beneficent. and indeed abso-
lutely essential. even II no measure
OF reform had ever been attained or
ever were to be attained. We are sa-
wing the future all the time. In some
remote analogy to this case. we may
remark in passing. the condemnation
often passed upon sanatoria for con-
sumptives-that they fail to cure so
many cases. Yes. but they preserve
the healthy from the risk of infection,
and this alone would be sufficient to
justify them. Only indeed by the seq
regation of the consumptive will con-
sumption be stamped out; only by the
segregation OF the drunkard can we
radically interfere with the production
of those predestined to drunkenness.
Drunkards Declared Insane.