September 11, 1914] 



SCIENCE 



373 



\ 



the Miinchener Medizinische Wochenschrift 

 Dr. von Gruber gives some remarkable facts 

 about the decreasing birth rate in Germany, 

 which are the more interesting as the same 

 causes are underlying a decreasing birth rate 

 in certain classes and certain regions of the 

 United States. 



Von Gruber shows that while the number 

 of marriages in Germany remained about the 

 same (80 per 10,000 inhabitants) the birth 

 rate sank from 370 in 1900 to 310 in 1910. 

 This decrease is especially marked in the 

 cities and industrial regions. In Berlin the 

 number of births per 10,000 inhabitants de- 

 creased from 149 in 1876 to 93 in 1912. But 

 not only the cities, the country districts, too, 

 show a gradual decrease in the birth rate. 

 Especially is this noticeable in the districts 

 adjoining large cities. In general this de- 

 crease is more marked in regions with a pre- 

 dominantly Protestant population, and with 

 regard to polities, in those election districts 

 which send regularly a socialist member to the 

 Eeichstag. 



Considering the causes of this general de- 

 cline of the birth rate von Gruber thinks that 

 it is principally due to prevention of concep- 

 tion. He recognizes the fact, however, that 

 this decrease is to some extent unintentional. 

 Many of the best families die out though chil- 

 dren are ardently desired. The causes of this 

 phenomenon are not fully known, but alcohol- 

 ism and the venereal diseases are probably the 

 principal underlying causes. 



Of special significance is the insufficient in- 

 crease of the birth rate among the intellectual 

 classes. For the safety, progress and prosper- 

 ity of any nation a sufficient number of per- 

 sons who are leaders of the people is necessary. 

 Without her great statesmen and generals, her 

 leaders in commerce and industry, in the arts 

 and sciences, the enormous development of 

 modern Germany would have been impossible. 

 Both Greece and Rome perished from a stead- 

 ily decreasing birth rate of the ruling race, and 

 it is a remarkable fact that during the de- 

 cline of the Roman Empire no great statesmen 

 and generals, no great thinkers, artists and 

 scientists, appeared. It was a period of com- 



plete stagnation. The same is true of the de- 

 clining periods of Greek history. 



In view of the more difficult living condi- 

 tions of modern times von Gruber recognizes 

 the right of the parents to limit the number of 

 their children, but this limitation should not 

 be carried so far as to endanger the safety of 

 the state. The desire for wealth and luxury, 

 the movement of woman's emancipation, the 

 disappearance of a deep religious sentiment 

 are the most destructive agencies in modern 

 society. The destructive effects of the aban- 

 donment of old orthodox beliefs is shown by 

 the fate of the Jewish race. Under the faith- 

 ful observation of the Mosaic law the Jews 

 maintained the strength and vigor of their 

 race through thousands of years in the face of 

 all opposition and persecution, but in modern 

 times the Jews, at least so far as Germany is 

 concerned, are threatened with extinction. 

 They have abandoned their ancient faith, they 

 hold the most advanced views on life, their 

 writers are the most fanatic agitators for the 

 overthrow of marriage and the established 

 order of sexual relations. The chase after 

 money, the thirst for power and pleasure, has 

 blinded them to the fact that they are facing 

 extinction through race suicide. These condi- 

 tions are especially marked among the Jews 

 of Berlin. From 1875 to 1910 the Jews of 

 Berlin increased 100 per cent., but the num- 

 ber of Jewish births decreased during the 

 same period 11 per cent. In 1905 the num- 

 ber of births per 1,000 Jewish women in the 

 child-bearing age was only 56.8. At present 

 their natality is only 14 per 1,000. Still less is 

 the natality among the Jews of Bohemia and 

 Moravia, where, according to recent statistics, 

 it sank to 12.9 per 1,000, the lowest birth rate 

 known among any race. This enormous de- 

 crease of births among the Jews shows that 

 the phenomenon is not due to poverty and in- 

 digence, for the Berlin Jews are among the 

 best situated people of that city. 



A reasonable increase in population is abso- 

 lutely necessary for any people to maintain its 

 position among the nations. If the two-chil-r 

 dren system should be carried out generally. 



