466 SCIENCE PROGRESS 



Hitherto, unless individuals, particularly those in the lower 

 classes, considered the future to some extent, any unexpected 

 misfortune such as illness or unemployment placed them and 

 their children at a very considerable disadvantage ; the proba- 

 bility of having children or of successfully rearing those already 

 existing would be considerably diminished as compared with the 

 case of individuals who had foreseen the possibility of such 

 misfortunes and provided against them. Many of the lower 

 classes did so provide ; consequently there was a constant process 

 by which the provident became selected as against the improvi- 

 dent. Now, under the Insurance Act, the improvident are forced 

 to provide to some extent against unfavourable contingencies and 

 the process of selection is seriously interfered with in conse- 

 quence. The elimination of the improvident and their children 

 is to be prevented as far as the law can manage it. Much the 

 same criticism may be applied to the feeding of school children. 



Not so very long ago lunatics were treated as criminals : the 

 treatment they received was such that recovery was wellnigh 

 impossible and the production of children was prevented. All 

 kinds of lunacy are not transmissible from parents to offspring ; 

 but most are and idiocy certainly is. The effect of modern 

 legislation with regard to lunatics and idiots is such that whilst 

 it is now made as difficult as possible to keep them under 

 restraint, they are treated in a way to improve their condition 

 and set at liberty upon temporary improvement ; they therefore 

 gain a renewed opportunity of perpetuating their kind. The 

 result is an increase in the number of lunatics, which increase is 

 progressing at such a rate that the public must inevitably be 

 frightened at no distant date ; the Government of the day will 

 then be forced to legislate afresh but it is to be feared that 

 sentiment will again intervene to prevent the introduction of 

 satisfactory measures. 



One of the greatest dangers in the immediate future appears 

 to lie in thoughtless and sentimental legislation dealing with 

 disease. In some cases, there can be but little doubt that 

 legislation might do much towards the elimination of particular 

 diseases. In other cases it is almost certain that legislative 

 interference will be attended with a vast amount of harm and 

 with no possible chance of doing good. Those responsible for 

 this kind of legislation often appear to be either ignorant of the 

 complicated nature of the problems with which they are dealing 



