A Handbook of Human Biology 



307 



1)6 admitted as evidence that our i)res- 

 ent system is unbiological and self-de- 

 structive. 



Since eugenics as a practical investi- 

 gation needs to begin with a conscious 

 and constructive recognition of the 

 biological forces that have been active 

 in the past, and have brought us w^here 

 we are, such a survey of the data of 

 human development is a fundamental 

 contribution to eugenics. Though the 

 standpoint of the present work might 

 be described as Malthusian. in the sense 

 of reckoning human fecundity as nor- 

 mally in excess, and often outrunning 

 the economic development of primitive 

 peoples, this has no relation to the birth 

 control vagaries of Alalthusianism. 

 That some of these notions have had 

 the support of John Stuart Mill and 

 other well-known names only shows the 

 greater need of scientific recognition 

 and study of the population factors. 



Following a critical historical review 

 of previous studies of population, data 

 are assembled from many fields of in- 

 quiry, anthropology, ethnology, psy- 

 chology, pathology, history, politics, and 

 education. Conditions of primitive and 

 prehistoric life are considered for fish- 

 ing and hunting tribes, and for early 

 agricultural stages, contrasting with 

 urban and industrial conditions of the 

 historical periods, ancient, mediaeval, 

 and modern. How fecundity is re- 

 stricted and regulated among primi- 

 tive peoples by the conditions of ex- 

 istence and by mental habits, social 

 customs and religious beliefs, all work- 

 ing automatically and unconsciously as 

 checks on population, is outlined and 

 documented to an extent that can leave 

 no doubt of the vast importance in 

 former times of many factors of se- 

 lective elimination. 



That most of these primitive selec- 

 tive factors have become almost en- 

 tirely ineffective in the present state of 

 civilization, but have not been replaced 

 by any other system for maintaining 

 the quality of the human organism, is 

 a most disquieting aspect of human 

 biology. Though it may be doubted 

 or denied that selection is strictlv and 



l)roperly considered as a cause of evo- 

 lution, there is no such doubt or denial 

 of the power of negative selection, to 

 weaken or destroy any special charac- 

 ter or ability that for any reason is 

 excluded from reproduction. If the 

 efifect of civilization is to preserve the 

 weak and incapable while the strong 

 and able stocks are consumed in lead- 

 ership or otherwise excluded from re- 

 production, the quality of the race 

 must decline, so that the decay of civi- 

 lization can be reduced to a simple 

 biological formula of negative selection. 

 This is going somewhat beyond our 

 author, though not out of line with his 

 argument. 



Later chapters of the book are espe- 

 cially needed by those extreme cugenists 

 whose zeal for germinal improve- 

 ment leads to a disregard of the en- 

 vironmental and educational factors of 

 development. The last three chapters, 

 on "tradition" are very valuable in their 

 clear recognition of what so many 

 writers on history and education leave 

 out of account, that the "tradition" or 

 carry-over of experience and opinion 

 from each generation to the next is the 

 chief factor in developing or maintain- 

 ing civilization. Our author does not 

 seem to see as clearly as he might that 

 the problem of "tradition" is the 

 problem of education, or that an 

 over-developed institutional system of 

 education is not an adequate vehicle 

 for "tradition." but tends rather to 

 separate and reduce the contacts be- 

 tween the generations. 



The peculiar relation of agricultural 

 life to the development of civilization 

 in providing the full contacts between 

 the generations that are necessary for 

 developing and maintaining civilizations 

 are also not recognized with sufficient 

 clearness, though the treatment of 

 Payne's "History of the New World 

 Called America." is followed in trying 

 to i)lace history on an agricultural 

 basis. Even Payne's mistake of sup- 

 posing that rice originated in America 

 figures in the discussion of primitive 

 agricultural conditions in America. 



]\Iany special features of the work 



