HEREDITY AND "PHYSICAL DECJENER ATIOX 00 



any interpretation of these facts. It sutHces that the 

 avaihiblc evidence by no means supports the view 

 that the present state of the lower cLasses of our urban 

 populations may bo ascribed, even in part, to the in- 

 crease in the average age of the parents of this people. 



The second cause assigned without proof as ex- 

 planatory of the imperfect physi(pie of many is the 

 alleged " multiplication of the unfit " — the produc- 

 tion of degenerates by degenerates. To this allusion 

 has already been made. It assumes, first, the ability 

 of the degenerate to propagate. Now it is hn possible 

 to maintain that no degenerate — we assume that this 

 word answers to a fact and not a fiction — is capable 

 of reproduction; but it is worth rememl)ering that 

 a relative or absolute sterility is a distinguishing 

 mark of degeneracy. The assertion of the " multipli- 

 cation of the unfit" assumes, secondly, the cessation 

 of selection, or its partial supersession by the social 

 conditions of our time. This matter will shortly be 

 dealt with. 



The third falsely assigned explanation of the un- 

 satisfactory state of the national physique is that 

 based upon the assumption of a general, inherent, 

 inevitable, national-racial decadence — the multiplica- 

 tion of adjectives being in inverse proportion to that 

 of evidence in support of this contention. It is 

 asserted that the Anixlo-Saxon race has reached its 

 zenith and is now in process of decline.^ The 



1 It has already been noted that Dr. Hall, of Leeds, was fonnfrly 

 inclined to postulate some racial law of rise and fall in exi'laua- 

 tion of the differences which he observe*! between Jew and Gnitile 

 children in tliat city. But now lie attributes lliese difTen-ncea 

 to the fact that "the Jews know Low to fee«l their children 

 properly." 



