72 DARWINISM AND RACE PROGRESS. 



from several diseases of the nervous system are on the 

 increase too. This supposition has, however, been 

 hotly disputed, and may be left in other hands for 

 final settlement, for it must be remembered that our 

 statistics date back but a few years, a day as it were 

 in history, and we must not presume to be able to 

 settle offhand every problem that arises. 



The Importance of preventing its Transmission. 



For our present purpose the hereditary nature of the 

 neurotic temperament is the important point that we 

 have to consider, for its hereditary nature places it in 

 the category of affections, which ought to be elimin- 

 ated by selective means, instead of being provided for 

 merely by the personal treatment of those who suffer 

 from it. It is true that by the selection suggested the 

 world might lose the occasional genius which is found 

 here and there in families with a strong taint of in- 

 sanity, but on the other hand it must be remembered 

 that by far the greater number of distinguished men 

 and women have been derived from vigorous and 

 mentally sound parentage ; for the association which 

 we make between genius and insanity is due not so 

 much to its common occurrence as to the possibility 

 of the co-existence at all in the same family circle of 

 these two things that at first sight must appear so 

 strangely opposed to each other. 



