SELECTION IN MARRIAGE 87 



ultimate effects may be good. Probably it is best to say 

 that they should be discouraged, but not condemned. More 

 knowledge will throw more light on this difficult question. 



One general rule can, however, now be laid down; and 

 this is that, if a person seems likely to transmit any evil 

 quality to his descendants, the first question to decide is 

 whether he or she ought to refrain from marriage. In 

 coming to a decision, no thought ought to be given as to 

 who is to be the other party to the marriage. This is 

 because, as we have seen, the race will in the long run be 

 injured rather than benefited by mating good stock to bad. 



To give up marriage out of a sense of duty may require 

 great moral courage and may involve a great sacrifice. 

 Before deciding that such a sacrifice ought to be made, a 

 few other points should be considered. Good qualities as 

 well as bad should always be given full weight in the 

 balance — a point often forgotten. Then, again, a childless 

 marriage is sometimes justifiable. Lastly, when there is 

 much doubt as to the probability of the harmful qualities 

 of the ancestors reappearing in the children, marriage with 

 a very small family may be the right course to take. 



The question whether a medical certificate should 

 always be obtained before marriage has often been raised, 

 generally in connection with venereal diseases. These 

 terrible maladies are not now under consideration, and no 

 opinion bearing on them will here be expressed. It would, 

 however, in any circumstances be objectionable if doctors 

 were to be placed in such a position that they could abso- 

 lutely prohibit a marriage. On the other hand, it would 

 be advantageous if before marriage each party had to 

 certify that he or she was free from certain diseases, and had 

 never either been certified as a lunatic or mentally defective, 

 or had been in prison, or previously married, or divorced. 

 Full particulars should be given when such a certificate 

 could not be signed, and severe punishment enforced for 

 false statements. Such certificates would be to some extent 

 a safeguard, but would be even more useful in calling atten- 

 tion to these subjects. 



