ALTRUISM ECONOMICALLY CONSIDERED, 67 



families — one and all — have but to leave their offspring as naked 

 as little Moses was when deposited at the Nile, either in a vacant 

 lot or upon some handy door-gtep. Under cover of darkness all is 

 secret. Either a policeman, or the irate citizen whose door-step 

 has been invaded, quickly and safely transfers the waif to an asy- 

 lum. The reminders of sin and folly, as well as the burdens of the 

 parents, have thus been put far away. Were society organized to 

 encourage this very business, it were imjoossible to arrange it more 

 satisfactorily. But eternal shame should rest upon the weak- 

 minded, benevolent people who by their ill-.advised altruism cul- 

 tivate such degradation in society ! One tenth of the money spent 

 in detecting and punishing these parents for their unnatural 

 crimes would teach society the needed lesson. More pains than 

 we take to catch a murderer should be spent upon detecting these 

 criminals. Every foundling asylum in America should be in- 

 stantly disorganized. 



IV. Insane Asylums. — Upon this kind of altruistic effort, 

 also a boast of the age, there are not sufficient data to warrant so 

 severe denunciation. It is proper, however, to call attention to 

 some suspicious circumstances : 



1. The collecting and imprisoning of great masses of such peo- 

 ple is unnatural, and the best authorities advocate breaking up the 

 system by substituting homes and separate buildings. 



2. To the non-medical observer it is surprising that, while rapid 

 progress is being made in treating many forms of disease such as 

 are caused by minute germs, so little knowledge is being obtained 

 concerning the nature, causes, and cure of insanity. With many 

 physicians, supported by the state in a liberal manner, why are 

 they not bringing forth fruit in this direction ? It is said to be 

 because incapable men get places through intrigues, and because 

 so much time is spent in routine work. 



3. The number of the insane is on the increase. Some of the 

 immediate causes are understood. Is it not certainly of the 

 utmost importance that facts bearing on these points be circu- 

 lated, and that great effort be made to check insanity by rooting 

 out of society the immediate and ultimate causes ? 



The altruistic work suggested by these questions can have no 

 unjustifiable effects. That which has been performed is more 

 questionable, as implied by the changes proposed, and upon further 

 examination may prove more unjustifiable. In any event it is 

 plain that doing good to those now insane may not be of half the 

 importance that it is to find means of preventing insanity in the 

 future. 



V. Benevolence in Higher Education. — It used to be a 

 practice to give not only tuition, but even board and clothes, to 

 young men studying theology. It was considered that they were 



