362 EUGENICS 



which we cannot develop will power, self-control, or a high moral 

 responsibility, are inherited. Other studies indicate that special 

 aptitudes such as musical or artistic ability as well as mathema- 

 tical and inventive aptitudes, literary ability, and retentive mem- 

 ory are inherited. On the other hand, a startling number of 

 feeble-minded people and those of low mentality are responsible 

 for the large criminal and defective groups that fill our chari- 

 table and public institutions. 



Race improvement. There are two ways of improving mankind. 

 This improvement may be called " human conservation." One 

 method of bettering the race consists in giving every child the best 

 possible inheritance. This is eugenics. This r.^quiros thought- 

 fulness in selecting a mate so that the children will have desirable 

 traits. Another method is to improve the environment of every 

 individual and to give him the best possible opportunity to develop 

 his capacities. It is true that anything which safeguards the 

 health of the present generation also helps to safeguard the next. 

 This second method is euthenics. It might be called the science 

 of learning to live well. It consists of an endeavor to improve 

 the individual through improving his environment and his training. 

 If all people understood and practiced eugenics — being well born 

 — and euthenics — living well — the world would be greatly im- 

 proved. 



The Eugenics Laboratory has collected many valuable statistics 

 and data on human heredity. Research work is continually going 

 on. If a man and woman contemplate marriage and question 

 the possibility of some undesirable trait in one or both of the 

 families being transmitted, the Eugenics Laboratory will give 

 an opinion on the desirability of the marriage. For instance, if 

 there is a tendency to deafness in one of the families, with perhaps 

 some members being deaf mutes, there would be a double possi- 

 bility of the children inheriting deafness if the family of the other 

 prospective parent had the same trait, even though in a milder 



