The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1912-09-20

That through the development OF the
new science OF eugenics II is possible not
only to determine the characteristics OF
the offspring OF a father and mother Of
like or opposite types, but to bring about
desired prenatal influences, was the state
ment made by DR.. Vernon N. Cady. of
New York. in lecture yesterday at the
exhibit of the American Federation OF
sex hygiene in connection with the Inter
national Congress on Hygiene and De-
biography, of which DR.. Charles W. Eliot
Is president.
1T is now possible" Dr. Cady said. ito
predict with great accuracy the color of
eyes of any given child, and the prophecy
may be made as soon as the parents are
married, provided We have knowledge
of certain details of their ancestry. Thus
VIC can foretell whether a certain child
Will be a genius. possessing talents. or
whether it will be feeble-minded. insane,
epileptic, or a deaf mute
This is a study of the Unborn qualities
Of the human race, with particular ref
eI Ience TO the improvement of mankind
by the laws of inheritance of special
qualities. Eugenics relates TO the i'm
provement of racial qualities and eu-
themes TO the improvement Of .
people by the Improvement of their
cultural conditions. 1t is proven that
certain things in the human makeup
are found to obey the came laws of
heredity as in that Of the dumb animal"
He declared that for the preservation of
a strong human race. physically and men
tally, since it has been Overrun with dis
ease, the time has come when it is neces-
sary to resort to science and natural
laws in marriage, social relations. prep
a-ations for bringing children into the
world and their care when they do arrive.
as has long been done in the breeding of
fine animals and the development of
be autiful flowers and fine fruits and veg
e,ables.
Talk on Social Evil.
Prof Cady. of New York, who as a
member of a national committee of ex-
perts representing various cities also has
completed a national census of the So
cial evil and its results, was the lead
ing lecturer. He delivered three lectures.
morning afternoon and evening. all
OF them p-ofusely illustrated with NOV
ing pictures and colered lantern slides
to emphasize the startling points brought
out. Physicians. sociologist philan-
thropists and others who are in attend
ance upon the exhibition declare that the
subject is now being handled here plainly
and without gloves for the first time be-
fore public audiences. Heretofore plain
discussing have been conducted before
members of societies where the doors
were not thrown open to the public. Yes
terday's lectures were attended not only
by the delegates and others who have
come from al over the world to attend
the health congress. but by many prom
inent men and women of Washington.
Prof. Cady talked on Social Diseases"
"Eugenics," and Sex Education" He
declared that OF the 100000 known white
slaves In the United States to-day, 50
TO 80 per cent are bearers Of disease.
He stated that the committee which has
been investigating the social evil for
several months has been unable to make
any reliable estimate OF the number of
persons who have social disease. either
from immoral practices or innocently.
but that it is certain the number extends
into the millions. 1t was declared that
great majority of divorces, of chronic
ailments and deaths. and also crimes, is
traceable. either directly or through
heredity. to the social evil. The number
of persons thus affected was declared to
be fully 10 per cent. Prof. Cady de-
clared that one-seventh of the French
population Is afflicted with social diseases
and that in France there are annually
about 5000 deaths due to these diseases.
DIR. Kebler Talks.
DR.. L. F. Kebler, OF the chemistry
bureau of the Department of Agricul-
ture, declared that many Persons. par
babies, are being killed or
started well on their way to the grave
by the innocent use OF habit-forming
drugs, disguised as medicines. soothing
isrups, &c. He denounced a widely ad-
yertised soothing sirup and paragorics
as death-dealing agents. The existing
Federal and State laws are not sufficient
to cope with this evil. he declared. and
further and more stringent legislation,
national and in every State, was urged.
The principal ingredients used by clever
of these nostrums are
opium, cocaine. caffeine, laud-
anum, OF their various derivatives The
use Of morphine has increased 100 times
in the last forty years and 10000 ounces
OF cocaine are used every year in the
United States, notwithstanding the reg
ulations imposed.
The first woman lecturer 10 appear on
the programme was Miss Harlean James,
former secretary Of the Woman's Civic
League, Of Baltimore. She made a strong
plea for cleaning up the back yards, de-
veloping gardens, and in other ways
out the flies She showed a se-
H. 1f n. LII