20 THE BEADSHANV LECTUKE 



venience, being not infrequently a cause of disease 

 and of death. They are given him on trust for 

 his descendants, and so badly does he often per- 

 form the duties of trustee that the blackest of 

 bubble company promoters may appear innocent 

 by comparison. If this view be accepted, and I 

 maintain it is true in every respect, there should be 

 less hesitation in employing humane and reason- 

 able means for protecting the race. Within the 

 last few years, and quite by accident, it has been 

 discovered that exposure to the X rays destroys 

 the reproductive function of the generative organs 

 without injury to the individual. We have, there- 

 fore, a humane method at our command, which is 

 not only painless, but so insidious that it might, if 

 necessary, be applied without the knowledge of 

 the individual. It probably would also be of 

 service to him in assisting him to maintain his 

 mental stability in after years. 



I now leave this somewhat uninviting subject 

 to say a few words on twins, on whom I have a 

 few observations to record. 



TWINS. 



The liability to the production of twins can, I 

 think, be shown to be hereditary. It may be due 

 to an excessive fecundity on the part of the 



