330 GENETICS 



after effects from this operation. It consists in remov- 

 ing a small section of each sperm duct and is entirely 

 effectual in preventing subsequent parenthood. 



In the female the corresponding operation, which 

 consists in removing a portion of each Fallopian tube, 

 is much more severe, but not impracticable or dan- 

 gerous. 



According to Laughlin who has carefully collected 

 data on the subject, in ten of the fifteen states which 

 have enacted eugenical sterilization statutes the law is 

 still (1921) on the statute books, unattacked b} 

 courts and so still available for use. From the be- 

 ginning of legal sterilization in the United States in 

 1907 until January 1st, 1921, a total of 3233 caco- 

 genic persons have been made sexually sterile under 

 the several statutes. 



Laughlin goes on to point out that "the nature of 

 administrative machinery, which will work and which 

 will fail, is, from the experiments already made, fairly 

 well known, so that if the principle of eugenical sterili- 

 zation has public support, practically any state legis- 

 lature can, if it chooses, enact a well-functioning law." 



The possibility of the abuse of sterilization if legal- 

 ized is, however, so great that this extreme method of 

 last resort will be for a long time doubtless of very 

 questionable application. 



6. THE CONSERVATION OF DESIRABLE GERMPLASM 



The eugenic ideal may be approached not only nega- 

 tively by the restriction of undesirable germplasm, but 



