36 HEREDITY AND SOCIETY 



extent upon the vital resistance of the individual. The 

 majority of persons of sound constitution will, under 

 proper treatment, recover from consumption with very 

 little impairment. The majority of those of enfeebled 

 constitution will die in spite of any treatment. In 

 some cases the inability to throw off tuberculosis may 

 be special and not part of any general unfitness ; but 

 in most instances it is part and parcel of a general 

 constitutional want of vigour. As showing this we 

 may refer to the correlation between consumption and 

 mental degeneracy. Of all the deaths in a most 

 excellently managed institution for the feeble-minded, 

 no less than two-fifths were from tuberculosis, whilst 

 the mortality from this cause amongst the insane in 

 asylums is at least nine times as great as amongst the 

 general population. And yet the attendants upon 

 these persons very rarely develop the disease." 



Now it is clear that, when the best curative treat- 

 ment is placed within reach of persons of sound 

 constitution who have accidentally acquired tuber- 

 culosis, and their complete and permanent recovery 

 is thereby hastened, unmixed good is done. To help 

 the fit to return sooner to remunerative and happy 

 employment is a form of social endeavour which, 

 however out of fashion, is worthy of all encourage- 

 ment. But, if our efforts are mainly directed towards 

 patching up the enfeebled constitution of tuberculous 

 degenerates with the result that they are able more 

 easily to hand on their defective qualities to another 

 generation, the prospective evil must be weighed 

 carefully against the immediate good. 



It is possible that the great liability to tubercle may 



