CHAPTER V 



WHAT IS TO BE DONE ? 



No one interested in the progress of civilization can 

 contemplate the facts presented in the previous chapters 

 without having the question arise, Why isn't some- 

 thing done about this ? It will be more to the point if 

 we put the question, Why do we not do something 

 about it ? We are thus face to face with the problem 

 in a practical way and we ask ourselves the next ques- 

 tion, What can we do ? For the low-grade idiot, the 

 loathsome unfortunate that may be seen in our insti- 

 tutions, some have proposed the lethal chamber. But 

 humanity is steadily tending away from the possibility 

 of that method, and there is no probability that it will 

 ever be practiced. 



But in view of such conditions as are shown in the 

 defective side of the Kallikak family, we begin to realize 

 that the idiot is not our greatest problem. He is in- 

 deed loathsome ; he is somewhat difficult to take care of ; 

 nevertheless, he lives his life and is done. He does not 

 continue the race with a line of children like himself. 



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