INTRODUCTORY. 3 



mitted to call into existence a wretched offspring. 

 In this way we make an attempt to hold Nature at 

 bay. We fight and struggle with all our strength 

 against the inexorable law which condemns the unfit 

 to extinction. Fortunately for the race, our success, our 

 greatest success, can only be temporary. At best we 

 can only for a little time put off the evil day, if it can 

 be called evil, and where in the end is our gain ? In 

 the more primitive and natural conditions of life, the 

 weakling is at once removed, because of his inherent 

 weakness, his unfitness, his inability to suit himself 

 to his surroundings ; whereas we, in our wisdom, en- 

 deavour to postpone that consummation, and it is not 

 until one, two, or" perhaps three generations of suffer- 

 ing wastrels have fretted and wept their hour upon 

 the stage, that we stand aside, unable longer to bar 

 the path, and see Nature do her work. 



I do not for a moment intend to question the 

 righteousness of these endeavours of civilised man on 

 behalf of his afflicted brother. With that great ques- 

 tion we have nothing here to do ; we can but admire 

 the beauty of the unselfish and Christian spirit which 

 prompts his action, and regret that Nature vouchsafes 

 him such a sorry reward. Our business on this occa- 

 sion is of a far more practical character than the 

 consideration of such vexed questions. It is to tell 

 those whom it may concern and it concerns the whole 

 race that disease is being handed down from father 

 to son, from mother to daughter, from parent to child ; 

 to point out how all- important to the ^ace, how 



