252 THE LIMITATIONS OF SCIENCE 



content to believe that the destiny of man is under 

 divine control, we can have hope; and if it is left to 

 the rough methods of nature, which sooner or later 

 blot out the degenerate and the weakling, there is 

 some possibility of achievement. 



In spite of much noise about the science of eugenics, 

 the eugenists know that at most it is but a police regu- 

 lation. Society has always assumed the right to pro- 

 tect itself by isolating or by punishing, even with death, 

 those it considers dangerous to its stability. The eu- 

 genists are advocating the same thing and have so far 

 limited their efforts to prevent children from criminals, 

 imbeciles, drunkards, and syphilitics. The methods of 

 society to accomplish this safeguard have been crude, 

 but they have been sufficiently effective to prevent any 

 notable deterioration of the race, and it is safe to say 

 there has been improvement. If the eugenists would 

 try to improve the methods of the past to some extent, 

 something might be done. But there is reason for be- 

 lieving that even this good is likely to be stifled by 

 the outcries and rash heedlessness of the overzealous. 



To prevent the strains of disease, imbecility, and 

 criminality from continuing in the race, we now have 

 the proposed surgical remedy of vasectomy. As an 

 efficient preventative it must be a failure. No society 

 would countenance such an operation except for cases 

 of hopeless degeneracy. While it might reduce some- 

 what the number of degenerate offspring, we would 



