HEREDITY. 21 



which is serious even in natural life, becomes grievous 

 in these days of the higher civilisation, when those who 

 owe their continuance in life to the exertions of others 

 are not only permitted, but are aided by every device 

 known to science, to propagate their kind. Now-a-days, 

 when the maniac, the melancholiac, and the would-be 

 suicide of yesterday, the imbecile, the epileptic, and the 

 habitual drunkard are married and given in marriage, 

 the suffering has become so terrible, the contamination 

 of the race so great, and the care of the useless offspring 

 begotten so heavy a charge upon the community, that 

 if some effort be not made voluntarily to stay this 

 curse upon the land, the Legislature must be called 

 upon to interfere. 



As I have already said, excepting only the idiot and 

 the raving maniac, who in the eye of the law are un- 

 able to make a contract binding on themselves, there 

 is no one so diseased, crippled, or deformed that he or 

 she may not marry and become the parent of a suffering, 

 helpless family, so far as the law is concerned. That 

 this should be so is a scandal upon our boasted civilisa- 

 tion. Why should the industrious citizen, who for years 

 worked hard and saved money that he might marry 

 with some reasonable prospect of being able to support 

 his family when it came, be called upon to support 

 the helpless, worthless offspring of the drunkard, the 

 imbecile, the criminal, and every other wastrel who 

 chooses to become a parent ? But this great question 

 hardly comes within the purview of this work, and, 

 notwithstanding its fascination, we must leave it for 



