Mendelism 275 



and women chose their partners as they choose a pet dog 

 or a suit of clothes, the divorce courts would have to work 

 overtime. But on the other hand no one has the right to 

 insure his own temporary happiness at the risk of the misery 

 of those who are to follow him. And here is where eugenics 

 has its major role to play — namely, in the education of the 

 youth as to the inflexibility of inheritance, the methods of its 

 operation, and their duty to generations yet unborn. 



The rights of the individual form one of the corner stones 

 of a democracy, while those of society, or the group of indi- 

 viduals, form the other. In so far as the former does not 

 conflict with the latter it must be fully insured or democracy 

 becomes an empty name, but no man has a right to personal 

 freedom when that freedom encroaches upon the welfare of 

 society, and one of the functions of eugenics is to preserve 

 that welfare by preventing the increase of the feeble-minded, 

 the alcoholic, the sexually immoral and the diseased — or in 

 general, the unfit. The simplest and safest way in fact, is 

 sterilization. This can be accomplished by a very simple and 

 harmless operation in man, requiring only a few minutes of 

 time and the use of a local anesthetic. In woman it is a more 

 serious operation, but in neither case, if carefully performed, 

 is it dangerous or productive of evil after-effects. Needless 

 to say, the practise of sterilization should be surrounded by 

 every precaution to protect the rights of the individual, and 

 should not be practised except by expert and responsible sur- 

 geons. Thus far eleven states have sterilization laws, though 

 but few operations under these laws have as yet been per- 

 formed. In some instances individuals have voluntarily sub- 

 mitted themselves to the operation. 



The first of these to be adopted was the Indiana law, which 

 is here quoted: "An Act, entitled, An act to prevent pro- 

 creation of criminals, idiots, imbeciles, and rapists — providing 

 that superintendents, or boards of managers, of institutions 

 where such persons are confined shall have the authority, 

 and are empowered to appoint a committee of experts, con- 

 sisting of two physicians, to examine into the mental condi- 

 tion of such inmates. 



"Whereas, Heredity plays a most important part in the 

 transmission of crime, idiocy, and imbecility; 



"Therefore, Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the 

 State of Indiana, That on and after the passage of this act 

 it shall be compulsory for each and every institution in the 

 State, entrusted with the care of confirmed criminals, idiots, 

 rapists and imbeciles, to appoint upon its staff, in addition to 

 the regular institutional physician, two (2) skilled surgeons 

 of recognized ability, whose duty it shall be, in conjunction 



