74 RACE.IMPROVEMENT IN SWEDEN 



that he is suffering from the disease in question. In certain cases it is enacted 

 that the occurence of these maladies, as well as the misuse of intoxicating means, 

 may be taken as grounds for invalidating the marriage or for divorce. It is en* 

 acted that the minimum age for entering into the marriage state shall be 21 years 

 for the man and 18 years for the woman. Marriage between a person and one 

 of his brother's or sister's children is not allowed without a special dispensation. 



Although it had been desirable that the law in several points had been more 

 rigorous one must feel glad over it, because it implies a tangible advance from 

 the eugenic point of view. The most important innovation in our new marriage 

 law, are the regulations respecting sexual disease in an infectious stage, as an 

 impediment to marriage. 



The reproduction of eugenically undesirable individuals can be hindered 

 not only by prohibiting marriage for them, but also by means of segregation 

 and sterilising and these modes of proceeding are much more effective than 

 prohibition of marriage. It is self<evident that with us, as in other countries, 

 insane persons and criminals are interned. In the meanwhile the extent to which 

 this takes place, is much too small. The object one has in doing it is namely, 

 only to protect society against unpleasentness, and not to protect the coming 

 generations from an increase of worthless individuals. Strong voices have been 

 raised insisting that more vigorous measures should be taken especially regarding 

 habitual and sexual criminals, who should not be set free after working out their 

 punishment, but should be interned for life. No regulations are found in Swedish 

 law which allow the sterilising of eugenically inferior individuals. The Medical 

 Faculty touched on this question also, but considered that regulations respecting 

 the sterilisation of physical and mental degenerates by means of operating, ought 

 not to be introduced before public opinion has been welkprepared to support 

 it. The question has been discussed among doctors and one or another of these 

 have, with the consent of the patient, sometimes performed an operation for ster 

 ilisation on account of eugenic indications. Sterilisation is a necessary complement 

 to prohibition of marriage and it is therefore to be hoped that the general 

 public will be brought gradually, by means of continued efforts for their enlight* 

 enment to a right understanding of this weighty question. 



Immigration to Sweden implies not so seldom a danger for the future of the 

 Swedish race and above all because especially during the latest years an invasion 

 has been taking place from the East, where the human material, in respect to the 

 mental and physical qualities of race, can hardly match itself against the, ancient 

 Swedish population. During the great war, asylum has been granted to a large 

 extent and for a longer time to unlucky fugitives, permission for their naturalisation 

 has fortunately been granted with great carefulness. Voices have been raised 

 asking for more severe regulations in respect to immigration. The number of 

 immigrants according to official statements the year before the great war broke 

 out was 8,407, but it was and still is in reality appreciably larger. 



The drain which emigration ever since the middle of the last century has 

 been for our nation, has certainly acted in a weakening way on its vital power. 

 Out of Sweden's population, which is near to 6 millions, twenty to thirty thous* 

 ands emigrate yearly. During the years between 1851 and 1910 about 1 V* million 



