26 THE LAW OF BIRTHS AND DEATHS 



Quite apart from the above facts, the commission had 

 before it an abundance of testimony that there has been 

 a decline of fertility due to natural causes. Dr. Mary 

 Scharlieb l testified that as the result of her inquiries 

 among women she finds that those who do not interfere 

 with nature do not now have such enormous families. 

 Out of 160 cases of childless women which came under 

 her notice in only seven instances was this due to de- 

 liberate prevention. A considerable number of leading 

 scientific and medical men and women testified to the 

 reality of the decline of fertility apart from the use of 

 contraceptives . 2 



An abundance of evidence can readily be found by 

 those who will consent to look at it and do not allow 

 themselves to be hypnotised by preconceived opinions. 

 On this point some interesting facts will presently be 

 given, but first it will be well to point out that the best 

 test of whether there has or has not been a decline of 

 natural fertility is to be found in the proportion of com- 

 pletely sterile marriages among the very rich, and among 

 those people who we may suppose would have been keen 

 to have at least one or two children. It is the testimony 

 of every intelligent observer of human nature that the 

 desire for one or two children is almost universal among 

 those people who have adequate means to support them. 

 Therefore, if there has been no decrease of natural fertility, 

 we cannot expect to find any great increase of completely 

 infertile marriages among people of means and intelli- 

 gence ; whereas if there has been a great decrease of 

 fertility due to natural causes, we may expect to find 

 a proportionate increase of completely childless families 



1 The Declining Birthrate. . 



8 Including Dr. John Brovvnlee, Prof. Leonard Hill, Dr. Halford Ross, 

 Dr, Chalmers and others. 



