Control of Heredity: Eugenics 283 



the breeder of thoroughbreds are wholly inappropriate. On the 

 other hand such a generalized type must include the best qualities 

 of many types and races and Mendelian inheritance shows how 

 it is possible to sort out the best qualities from the worst. 



Nowadays one hears a lot of high sounding talk about "human 

 thoroughbreds," which usually means that those who use this 

 phrase desire to see certain narrow and exclusive social classes 

 perpetuated by close inbreeding; it usually has no reference to 

 good hereditary traits wherever found, indeed such traits would 

 not be recognized if they appeared outside of "the four hundred." 

 Such talk probably does neither harm nor good ; the "social thor- 

 oughbreds" are so few in number and so nearly sterile that the 

 mass of the population is not affected by these exclusive classes. 



Galton advocated the segregation and intermarriage of the most 

 highly intellectual members of society, such as the prize schol- 

 ars in the colleges and universities ; but if the human ideal is the 

 generalized rather than the specialized type it would be better 

 if the prize scholars married the prize athletes. A race of highly 

 specialized scholars or athletes is not so desirable as a race in 

 which these and other excellences are well balanced. From this 

 point of view the person who is voted the "best all-round man 

 in his class" is nearer the eugenical ideal than the prize scholar. 



No man can trace his lineage back through many generations 

 without realizing that it includes many hereditary lines differing 

 greatly in value. The significance of sexual reproduction lies in 

 this very fact that it brings about the commingling of distinct 

 lines and thereby makes every individual different from every 

 other one. The entire history of past evolution testifies to the 

 value of this process, although it causes the gardener, the breed- 

 er, the eugenicist serious trouble. But the gardener can propa- 

 gate his choice fruits by budding and grafting, the breeder can 

 for a time preserves his choice stock by close inbreeding, but the 

 eugenicist cannot shut out the influence of foreign blood, and per- 

 haps it is well that he cannot for if he could do so the progress 

 of the race might soon come to an end. 



