The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1922-04-15


Free advice In the matter Of choos-
ing wives and husbands is soon to be
available in Vienna for people who
wish to observe the principles of
eugenics, according t a new report
recently received from that city.
Vienna has lately had occasion to
become alarmed at the large sums
which the municipality has had to
: spend on treatment for children born
idiots; and DR.. Tandler, the chief
sanitary oficer, a decided to in
troduce this prematrimonial service
as a sort of hopeful experiment.
You cannot prevent people from
having children" says DR.. Tandler.
by merely imposing conditions of
marriage any nor than you a
make many people pay taxes If they
are really determined to evade them.
You must cultivate a sense of respon-
sibility in the individual. l propose.
therefore. merely to give people an
opportunity of consulting a doctor
gratis before they are married. In
the future there will be a municipal
consultant ON wedlock, who will be a
doctor with a good knowledge Of hui
man nature over and above his medi-
cal qualifications. He will simply tell
the people the truth about them
selves and the prospects for their
children IL they marry. The aim OF
the institution will be to educate the
public to a point where 1t will be a
matter of common sense to consult a
doctor before marriage"
The rendering of scientific opinions
to young couples contemplating mar
riage as to the probable characters
tics Of their offspring, as well as the
establishment of parentage in cases
of disputed legitimacy. are among the
new practical uses of eugenics. We
already have a well-known eugenics
record Office at Cold Spring harbor in
this country, under the direction of
DIR. Charles B. Davenport, leader of
the eugenics movement over here,
which supplies advice similar to that
proposed for the citizens of Vienna.
Such advice is more in demand than
might be expected, and many roman
ces have been blighted or aided by
the coldly scientific analyses of eugen-
les experts connected with the Daven-
port laboratory.
MORE SERIOUS VIEWS CERTAIN
Eventually there will come a wide
spread realization of the Importance
of heredity in marriage" say DR.,
Davenport. Young persons to whom
marriage is so serious a matter will
be lead to stop and consider when
> they are falling in love, and inquire
> concerning consequence to Off
spring.
: ALREADY there is being developed
q well-defined conscience in the mat
ter of cousin marriages, for example,
and of matings into families with
grossly defective members. This is
shown by the extensive correspond
ence that the eugenics Office has been
obliged to enter into with persons
who are contemplating marriage.
'They are quite willing to submit
an extensive account of their family
traits, and they write to learn what ID
known about the inheritance of some
family weakness or defect. The PEG.
pie who make these inquiries are
: often unusually intelligent, and not
at all radical; some of them stand
high in the social world.
1T is a high idealism and a for
ward-looking one which leads them to
seek the desired knowledge. and one
can only respond to these requests
by telling what is known, OF highly
probable, In respect to the recur-
renee Of the family defects in Off
spring. Whether the conclusions
that n is able to give are always
very valuable or not, at least the Gus
tom Of considering children and their
Inheritance of family traits is one to
be encouraged. Normal persons mar
ry to beget normal children. and II
= is natural for them to seek informa-
ton concerning the inheritance OF
particular traits.
The only trouble with this high
idealism" at present is that the
science of eugenics is still In its in
fancy, and eugenists show an alarming
tendency to contradict each other on
various important points. There Is