The Washington times., 1912-09-20
AIMS TO PREVENT
BIRTH Of CHILDREN
LIKELY TO Be WEAK
DR.. Woods Hutchinson
Would Rid Race of De-
Il fectives BY Science.

Society may not yet hope to bring
about at will the birth of geniuses, but
II can and should prevent the birth of
detectives. The negative side of the
science of eugenics is the important one.
This will be the doctrine set forth at
the final meeting tonight of the conven-
tion Of the American Public Health
Association by DR.. Woods Hutchinson,
the first speaker on the program: His
address will follow the election Of offi-
GERS and transaction of other conciud-
ing business In he ballroom of the
Willard. DR.. Rudolph Herring, Of New
York, is slated to be the new president
of the association.
To prevent the reproduction of the
unfit, DIR. Hutchinson says that the iso-
isten or sterilization Of those y4n1s
should be accomplished. Added to this
should be the sterilization Of adult
habitual criminals.
who the unit children are." said DR..
Hutchinson, land that can only be
achieved by a thorough school census.
Besides this we should begin inspection
drsn
OF all children who are hereditarily de-
fective are determined, they should be
given such training as will At them for
the part they are likely to play in life.
Then they should be either segregated in
open air farm colonies or sterilized by
the employment of the new painless and
non-mutilating methods"
All feeble -mindedness, according to
DR.. Hutchinson, Is hereditary, epilepsy,
alcoholism, two-thirds of prostitution,
and half to two-thrds of criminality.
With regard. to the sterilization Of
adult habitual criminals. DR.. Hutchin-
son said: "As rapidly as public senti-
ment will permit. ell adult criminals Of
the habitual kind should be rendered
4 n 20 t,I
Eugenics. according to DR.. Hutchin-
son, has two divisions, prevention of the
reproduction of detectives. and encour-
agement of the production of the spe-
cially At
The feeling of most of us who have
worked on the matter" DR.. Hutchinson
said today. '1s that in the first division
much can be accomplished and that
about the latter we do not vet know
suits.
Geniuses Are Exceptions.
while geniuses are exceptions, they
certainly do not reproduce themselves
biologically they are accidental varia-
tions-and their families often are de-
ficient in some respects. 1t is not neces-
sary to desire that geniuses shall be
reproduced. We have an abundance OF
good qualities for good heredity. and
these, exist IN about 90 per cent Of the
'lation.
1T is the reproduction of these that
Is of Importance, and we can afford to
disregard The per cent Of the superior
kind and endeavor to prevent the re-
production Of the remaining 5 per cent
the detectives.
"These form the mass of individuals
below the normal. From them comes
the burden on society, the insane. the
drunkards. and the always unemploy
ed
pessing the municipal bealth of
ficers section this morning, DR.. Hutch
inson said with smile that nov thai
the doctors are preaching and the
preaching are practicing., the millennium
of health may be at hand"
DR.. Hutchinson was talking on the
theme. Publicity in Public Health
Work" and his talk was larEsely Il plea
to other physicians to abandon tn. time
honored reticence ard retirement o.
the profession. He urged them to TAX.
the public into their confidence anc
not to try to appear mvsterlously wise
Not 30 very long ago a physician
was not allowed to speak at all on medi
cal subjects until spoken to, but in re
cent time change for the better ha.
taken place. Our own attitude ha.
changed. Formerly we yearned for &