The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-10-14
S1ER|L|zE UNFIT,
SAYS De JARNtT'TE.
REPORT OF THE WESTERN STATE
HOSPITAL DISCUSSES
EUGENICS.
HOME FOR INEBRIATEs
sUpERINTENDENr REVIEWS HIS
PREVIOUS sUGGEsTIoN-CoN-
TRoL or SALE OF LIQUOR
AND DRUGS NECESSARY.

Segregation and sterilization of the
UNIT Is strongly advocated by DR.. j.
s. DeJarnette. president of the West
ern State hospital at Stuanton, in his
annual report to the governor.
Such action, says DIR DeJarnette. In
his report. would soorr free us of about
so per cent of our insane. criminals
and other dependents, and within a
generation we could cloose the doors
to many of our charitable institutions.
The report presents many facts
corroborative of his statements and
showing the advantages of the means
he would employ to prevent reproduce
ton and multiplication of insane, and
generally unfit. but knowledge does no
good, he says unless action Ia taken.
I'VE have the conditions, and we
know the causes, now what is to be
done in relief2' he asks.
Three Suggestions.
Answering his own question he sug
gests laws for the sterilization of the
unfit. compulsory instruction in sex
hygiene In all high schools: proper
control of liquor and habit forming
drugs.
On these subjects the report says:
"Eugenics means to generate we'll,
and teaches prevention Of reproduc-
ton by the unflt.
These UNIT types may be caused
by heredity or by mental or physical
strain, and one acting alone, or two
or more acting together. mental
strains are grief. religious doubts. en-
vironment, family cares. etc. Physi-
cal strains are alcoholism, syphilis
disease. hardships. exposure. bad food,
etc.
Since all Of the above causes can
and do make the individual unsuita-
BILE to reproduce, eugenics has become
| a much broader subject than its name
would imply.
Cations law of here1ity that each
| individual represents one half on the
! maternal side, one-half on paternal
1 side, and one fourth from each grand
| parent. etc. has not been proven true
/ by observation. He offers no explana-
/ ton for the dominance in many cases
of one parent or grand-parent on eth
err maternal or paternaI side.
! "Mendei's law holds that the Off
spring Is not intermediate in type be-
tween its parents. hut the type of one
( or the other parent Is predominant.
| calling certain types dominant, and
I certain other types 'Tecessive' as the
case may be. The dominant parent In
one generation may he the recessive in
0nN next. re worked OUT ms Jaw III
the study of flowers, and II is much
more plausible than Cations
Insisting on the Obvious.
1T seems like insisting on the obvi-
Gus to discuss the above question, for
practically all thinking men have oh
served the effects of bad heredity:
and vet we go on allowing this crime
against society to continue unchecke ed
feeling that 1t is no concern of ours
or worse still ridiculing the poor en-
thusiast who attempts to control the
evils of heredity and environment,
He who argues that the world has
stood for years. and Will probably
run on a few more has lost sight oi
the fact that formerly the high death
rate of the UNIT in infancy and child.
hood was partially self regulating. bu
now with ircubators for weak babies
and the control of many of the dis
eases of children, numbers of weak
lngs are matured and reproduce
much to the injury of the race. Rob
ert Service puts it we'll when he says
This is the law of the Yukon.
That only the strong shall thrive:
The weak shall surely perish.
And only the fit survive
For five years ] have been at
tempting to bring before the pubii
the wisdom Of sterilizing the unfit. o
segregating them SO that they canno
reproduce, and In this way atop abou
60 per cent of our dependents.
We could eliminate drunkenness an
syphilis. which are the chieS extrinsi
causes of premature mental and ply
steal decay, in a generation we coul
close some Of our charitable insti
tutions instead of enlarsing them.
Theory and Practice.
ut Is useless to accumulate tn
above facts and knowledge unles
we are going to put them to som
: practical use. We have the condi
g ton. and We know the causes. nov
q what is to be done in relief? Firs
: we should enact laws for the sterili
zation Of the unfit, for the prope
: control of liquor and habit--formin
8 drugs. for the systematic 'examina
|. ton and control of the usual sourc
n of communicating syphilis. and 70
t. compulsory instruction IN sex ny
g giene in all the high schools.
: 'If we allow this condition to &
II on unchecked our people will be
g come weakings and dependents. an
= our race fail by the wayside.
8 I'VE know the cause of small-po
G and we use the preventive. w
G know the control of typhoid feve
: and diphtheria ard we use the know
: edge, but in the case of insanity tn
q alienist is constantly being place