NATIONAL CERTIFICATE OF HEALTH 187 



of victims will act as a guarantee agency, 

 which will eradicate the diseases by making 

 young men more careful. In France, a 

 doctor is compelled to register every case 

 of syphilis in the town in which his patient 

 was born in the official hall of records, 

 where they are kept for public inspection. 

 The same is true in Germany, and, if the 

 doctor fails to so record each case of syph- 

 ilis, he is subject to a heavy penalty. 



Something more, however, is necessary 

 than a clean bill of health to make marriage 

 a success. The young people want to know 

 their own ancestral history, and the ances- 

 tral history of the families into which they 

 are expected to marry, what the strong 

 points of their family are, as well as the 

 failings, and from what their ancestors 

 died, so as not to double up family fail- 

 ings or inclinations to such diseases — as 

 for instance, when under certain condi- 

 tions both families have hereditary kidney 

 trouble, insanity, etc. This is the only way 

 to spare suffering to the unborn. 



I know predictions are hazardous, but I 

 venture to say that in fifty years from now 



