The Washington times., 1912-06-07
PHYSICIAN URGES
SEGREGATION FOR
ALL DEGENERATES
DR.. c. B. Davenport, of Cor
nell, Reads Startling Paper
At Convention.

ATLANTIC CITY. June 7.-"Persons
who are guilty of what society calls bad
behavior are incompatible with q safe
and progressive social organisation and
we must demand that they be segre-
gated and placed under such state re-
straint that they are never allowed to
multiply" This was the sense OF a
paper read by DR.. e. B. Daveneort OF
the. annual meeting of the American
Medical Association here last night.
Or. Davenport has made an earnest
study OF the subject of heredity and
and his views, while most radical, SO
Impressed the association that his paper
was received with cheers and he was
the only physician who received a rising
vote OF appreciation for the courage he
did. ''' "' "'
DR.. Davenport holds the opinion that
every disease, every peculiarity OF form,
structure and conduct is determined as
'lnheritable traits are not personal
property. They come down TO the in
dividual through the ages out of the
society Of the past. They are dissem-
mated, II the person or his fraternity
have children. into the society of the
future"
Asks Aid of Profession.
He called upon the profession to
take hold of the responsibility that is
surely theirs and that when they
found that a new race of degenerates
was likely to be born they should
step In and prevent 1t, AS he aptly
physicians must protect those by
whom they are paid, even at the ex-
pense of society, then the sooner the
state control Of the whole matter of
the better humanity is going to be.
At one time disease was regarded as
q personal and private matter, but the
demands OF society today compel us
OF the community, to regard this as
our duty to stop the marriage Of per-
sons who should not be allowed to
kinds OF nervous diseases have hered-
itary elements therefore II is clearly
desirable that such diseases should
not be perpetuated by UNIT mating
tinued down to posterity. The traits
which DR.. Davenports study has
shown to be particularly bad for for
ward development. he enumerated
from the time of infancy.
Inability to learn to count, to read,
to write or distinguish colors. he said,
are the initial signs of inherited dis
ease. Then in youth and adult life
dustry, failure to stay away from al
coholism, lack of control OF all emo
ttons and physical control as well
persons who exhibit anger. hatred.
take the property of other people. to
want excitement, by bearing false
tales. conceit, cruel treatment of ami
mails and OF children: all these he
named as the symptoms which should
be regarded as the signs of mental
depravity which the child had inner
tied at time OF Its conception.
Some State Laws.
Some States already have adopted
laws, he said, that require the report
of certain diseases affecting society,
and he asked for national enactment
OF such statute for any practice
which acts against the progress Of So
ciety and against the fitness for mar
riage.
Al the close of the day they elected
onicers to begin their terms in 1919
and selected Minneapolis as the next
meeting place of the association.
The association refused to recognize
the later methods of healing without
drugs. Every year application has been
made to have a new section on me-
clude the medical electrician and other
members of the profession. who have
advocated massage, electricity and
other forms of treatment to the detri-
ment of what the regular physician has
always regarded as his materia medica,
or the fundamental principle on which
the practice of medicine was based
When the vote to create this section
was taken, 1t was unanimous against
the proposition TO grant this branch
OF medical men special section OF
their own.
Lung Diseases.
There was also an application made to
create a new section on lung diseases,
but the physicians felt that this. too.
might open the door for more men who
advocated fresh air rather than strictly
medical treatment AS the tendency OF
the association is to keep close to ethical
lines they were denied the right they
sought. The delegates did, however,
grant the orthopaedic surgeons a new
organization, as II was the consensus OF
opinion that this branch of surgery,
which has to do with deformities. Is in
need OF much research and educational
work.
One of the important actions was the
appropriation of a fund which will be
used to correct many of the hospital
abuses that exist today.