172 THE NEXT GENERATION 



When this occurs, as Dr. Morrow says, " instead of the 

 rosy, healthy, well-formed child, there may survive a puny, 

 frail being, feeble in mind and body, an object of disgust and 

 horror, doomed, if not to early death, to bear through life the 

 stigmata of degeneration and disease." 



The baby does not always look ill at birth, however. In- 

 deed, the signs of its inherited disease may not come until 

 weeks or months or years afterwards. 



Many pages of many books are crowded with cases in which 

 this curse has appeared in the next generation, but they are 

 too sad to be recounted here. He who is armed against the 

 danger is able to save himself and his descendants. His fate 

 no less than their fate rests with himself. 



The'-'disease studied in this chapter arose long ago in con- 

 nection with the immoral lives of men and women, and it is 

 now largely so transmitted. Indeed, very few of those who 

 live the immoral life are free from one or the other of the 

 two diseases mentioned in this and in the next chapter. 

 Nevertheless, the. fact of contamination does not necessarily 

 prove immorality, although the resulting suffering is not les- 

 sened. The only way to safety is along the lines of protection 

 already stated. 



