I20 The Third anb Fourth Generation 



for the segregation of such people and their 

 confinement under conditions which will make 

 the bearing of children impossible. In some 

 states it is incumbent upon the authorities in 

 charge of persons in insane asylums, peni- 

 tentiaries, and institutions for the feeble-minded 

 to sterilize such as are adjudged to be hopeless 

 cases. But probably the most effective method 

 of dealing with the situation is to bring to young 

 people a realization of the prevalence of such 

 diseases, even among men of the better social 

 classes. 



These diseases are curable, but only after 

 prolonged treatment, and then only in a small 

 percentage of the cases treated. The effects of 

 such sins as alcoholism and sexual impurity are 

 transmitted apparently to the children to the 

 third and fourth generation. In the case of the 

 latter disease, at least, the transmission is not 

 the truly hereditary transmission, but the evil 

 effects are just as serious as if it were true 

 inheritance. It is to be noted that the effects 

 of these conditions seldom do run for many 

 generations. The stock is very prone to die 



