APPENDIX I 



There is presented below a summary of the evidence that in 

 all parts of the world there existed among primitive races, before 

 they had been subjected to European or other outside influence, 

 customs the primary function of which was the restriction of 

 increase. An ideal review of the matter would require a pre- 

 liminary selection of certain areas where the conditions referred 

 to could be thoroughly studied. After a mapping out of the races 

 and tribes, in order that some idea might be obtained of the 

 relative numerical importance of each, an exhaustive examination 

 of the literature might be undertaken and the date of the observa- 

 tions noted. The credibihty of the authors would have to be 

 considered and some method of allowing for negative evidence 

 elaborated. Nothing of the kind has been attempted here. It 

 may be suggested that the problem should have been pursued at 

 least somewhat further. Various attempts were made to analyse 

 the evidence in other ways, but the difficulties met with were 

 such that it seemed best to present the evidence as follows. 

 Evidence of a reasonably credible nature as to the existence of 

 these customs has been noted. In many of these cases other 

 authors are silent as to these practices ; in one or two cases the 

 practices have been denied ; but when the denial is either not 

 apparently founded on careful observation or is of a distinctly 

 later date, these instances have not been omitted. \Vhere the 

 weight of the evidence is against the existence of the practice, as 

 in the case of the existence of infanticide among the Veddahs, 

 any positive evidence is omitted. One author does record infanti- 

 cide among the Veddahs, and it may be that it formerly existed. 



It is submitted that the evidence as given below does show 

 customs restrictive of increase to have been so widespread, in the 

 form either of abortion, infanticide, or prolonged abstention from 

 intercourse, as to have been practically universal. It is in fact 

 submitted that, although for the many reasons set out in the 

 text the evidence must be very incomplete, there is ample support 

 for the theory which has been advanced. 



In the following summary the letter ' R ' stands for prolonged 

 restriction of mtercourse, ' A ' for abortion, and ' I ' for infanti- 

 cide. Where the evidence records the practice to be rare, but 

 there are reasons for thinking that the rarity may be recent, the 

 reference has been included with the word ' rare ' given in 

 brackets. 



H h 2 ' 



