The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1922-03-26
eGhe 5Eenuzd5,
Scientific
oN7cS
qndConmenf
SUNDAY. MARCH -. Ipze.
EUGENICs AND THE
FUTURE OF AMERICA.

EIGENICs AND THE
FUTURE or AMERICA.
leading sanitsrians Of the
country have just completed a
conference On the future %
health In the United States held
in Washington. The improve
I ment % our future generations.
before and not after they are
born. was one OF the important
subjects discussed at the confer
ence. DR.. Barker explains the
public health view OF eugenics).
The eugenic problem. perhaps the
most difficult and perplexing OF all.
has. as yet. been scarcely touched
by public health workers. Sanitary
science, bacteriology. epidemioIogy.
persc nal hygiene. medicine and sur
gerry. modern nursing. and social
service are improving the environ
ment. preventing disease or recog-
MIXING IL early and arresting Il, pro-
longing life and ameliorating the
conditions OF life OF individuals; but
what are they doing TO the race
May they not be causing racial de-
terioration through survival Of per-
sons who transit infei 'or germ
plssm. As envlronmental improve
ment keeps alive the biologically
less fit." should we not see TO il
= that arrangements be made for the
announcement of parenthood by
the more fit" for the discourage
ment OF parenthood by the less
fij" and for the prohibition OF pa-
renthood by the "notoriously un-
fit" Otherwise will not the Unborn
capacities of man undergo progress
sive decrease and contribute to
racial extinction? II biologists are
right about heredity. should we re-
fuse to face the facts? Ought We
not rather resolutely TO face them.
cooperating with Nature as ".
gain knowledge Of her laws? These
are some of the queries that bioio-
gists. and especially eugenists. are
propounding. For these interrocst-
ors. euSenics would seem to he cvcS
more important than euthenirs ur
environmental Improvement for con-
sideration by public health workers
in the future commonwealth
i IL the facts that we now possess
concerning environmental influence
on the one hand and herediiy 90
the other could be systemat .cailv
applied by public health workers
Il ere would result an enormous nus
upward both IN the health 81 in
dividuals and in germ-plasm It
terment- And. OF course. the mail
duty OF public health Administered prs
at a given time is TO apply sys-
tematically for the promotion -
health the knowledge that then
actually exists. Legal enactmerts
have their place in public health
work and police power must be cN-
ercised for maintaining the orde-
that r. conducive 20 public health:
. but these measures are far less
important than others that arc
available. particularly the extension
fof educational policies. the i'm
provement of social customs the
PRONUNCIATION Of better ethical stan
dards. and the encourage cement ~
various forms Of art by which
physical and moral beauty arc de-
termined. for those ideals are o.
great Importance in influencing
men and women in mate selectioil
The facts should be told 20 the
people in a way that will be I'M
derstood by them and by persons
: who can convince them. For the
: masses. heredity and environment
are still wrapped in mystery. Pub
lie health workers should be inter
mediaries between the scientist an
the common man. Matters hiddea
from him OF misunderstood by him
should be brought TO light and care
fully explained to him. Germ
plasms fertilization. CESSATION. in
fancy. growth. puberty. adolescence
maturity. sex-mating. parenthocd
economic security. intellectual AMI
emotional satisfaction. senility. dis
ease and death are among the SUB
jects that require calculation. Til
teachings OF science must be especial
. ly prepared IL they are TO tempt the
appetite and provide nourishment fpr
the common man.
In discussing desirable eurenIn
/, goals-and I may say that ] am .y-
ceedingly skepticai OF the possih li'v
OF any exhaustive practical euceui,
program until knowledge has hceu
further increased and diffused-i'
would be well to keep mind the
difficulty in arriving at decisions
as to who are fit" who are filter
and who are attest" to SURVIVE.
even though we arrived at a gen
T: eral agreement that certain group
are ''manifestly unfit" and should
be denied the privilege Of parent
. hood. II Is not desirable as Vet.
at any rate. to have many dincrcu'
races of men in the world and many
varieties and degrees Of Unborn ca
pacities I'm the individuals Of =
single race. Instead of ATTEMPTING
TO breed people who arc nearly
alike, no matter how superior tho
type. might IL not be wiser TO en-
courage variation and to attempt
TO preserve as many worthy and
pleasing varieties as possible. ADAPT
ing the circumstances to them when
necessary rather than forcing them
into an unfavorahle milieu. Thinl,
how far physics, chemistry aud
mechanics would have to advance
/ before machines could he devised
that would take the place Of tho
working men and women now on
gagged in various inferior" occurs-
lions. As knowledge grows and a.
social life becomes ever more COM
pick, We shall need greater Va
-iety of special aptitudes than ever
before. There will be more rather
than fewer kinds OF services necrs-
sary In our social life, and il wiz
be the task of vocational education
TO discover the particular kind OF
specialization to which each indi-
vidusl is most suited and 10 arrange
Tor his proper articulation in the.
social machinery.
SIXTEEN VARIETIES OF
PCBLIC HEALTH EXPERTS.