92 EUGENIC WORK IN SWEDISH FINLAND 



For this purpose the Commission issues a series of pamphlets. Hitherto the 

 following subjects have been treated of: the importance of heredity for the health 

 of the people, the care of children and home education. In preparation are pamph* 

 lets about temperance, thrift and the desertion of the countryside. The pamphlets 

 are spread by 180 cultural societies, situated in the Swedish districts, and have 

 been issued in 30,000 copies. They ought to reach most of the Swedish homes 

 in Finland. 



As it is beyond doubt that the written word in many cases is of less effect 

 than the spoken, persons specially trained for the purpose will, as far as the 

 means of the Commission allow, be employed to carry on the propaganda. They 

 are to spread knowledge through lectures and above all through personal in* 

 struction in the homes. For the said purpose persons interested in the work and 

 not paid for it will act as assistants. They are chiefly recruited from a woman's 

 association under the name of the »Martha society*, working in every part of the 

 country for twenty years, which has made it their object to spread knowledge in 

 every home. The society is well organized and has specially gone in for teaching 

 the housewives how to take care of their homes; it has with the greatest success 

 spread the knowledge of cooking, women's handiwork and gardening. The care 

 of children is also part of their programme and it co«operates with the Commis^ 

 sion in the above mentioned awarding of prizes to mothers. 



This information work, carried on by the above mentioned paid and unpaid 

 workers, will comprise the introduction of rational care of children, a campaign 

 against tuberculosis, temperance work, shortly family hygiene in the most extensive 

 meaning of the word. 



As soon as the Commission had laid out the plan of work, pointed out 

 above, it became evident to the members that a reconstruction of the Commis» 

 sion into an independent society must be undertaken. A proposal to this effect was 

 handed in to the board of the Literary Society, whose approval was gained. The 

 board promised to hand over most of the funds, the interest of which the society 

 had a right to dispose of, to a new society, to be organized for this purpose. 



In March this year the newly formed society held their constituent meeting 

 and took the name of »Samfundet Folkhalsan i Svenska Finland^ (Society for 

 improving public health in Swedish Finland). 



The society will in all essential points follow the principles laid down by 

 the Florin Commission. It consists of working and supporting members. The 

 working members are divided into two sections: one scientific and one practical. 

 More than half of the members of the sections belong to the Helsingfors Uni* 

 versify teachers' staff. 



At present the working members are the following: Amos Anderson (busi* 

 ness man), Robert Ehrstrom (professor of medicine), Harry Federley (lecturer 

 on genetics, sercetary to the Society), Jarl Hagelstam (professor of neurology, vice 

 president of the Society), Oskar von Hellens (professor of hygiene), C. M. Ho« 

 henthal (medical practitioner, archivist to the society), Fanny Hult (president of 

 the central board of the Martha Society), G. Landtman (lecturer on sociology), 

 Albert Lilius (professor of pedagogics), Ernst Lindelof (professor of mathematics), 

 Wilhelm Pipping (professor of pediatrics), Henrik Ramsay (doctor of philosophy. 



