182 A STUDY IN HEREDITY 



him under medical observation. But if he has 

 one of the venereal contagious diseases he is free 

 to communicate it to his fellows — perhaps to the 

 child he kisses or to the friend who drinks from 

 his cup. 



What is the result? It is possible that those 

 who talk so glibly of "the State Regulation of 

 Vice " do not fully realise the situation which has 

 arisen owing to the absence of " State Prevention 

 of Disease." Men of the world, and especially 

 medical men, will bear me out when I say that 

 very many Englishmen who reach adult life have 

 suffered from one or more of these complaints ; * 

 very many innocent Englishwomen are infected also ; 

 tens of thousands of helpless infants suffer or perish 

 of them, and England, as regards these complaints, 

 is absolutely the plague-spot of the world. We are 

 the greatest of travellers. With us travel our un- 

 checked diseases. The result is that many an 

 erstwhile flourishing aboriginal race, in the absence 

 of medical treatment, has suffered or is tending 

 towards extinction ; and the efforts of other civilised 

 communities to stamp out these terrible diseases 

 are rendered nugatory in consequence of their 

 constant reintroduction from England — whence it 



^ This statement will be disputed by clergymen and others, 

 especially women, who are not in a position to learn the truth. Few 

 young men will speak of their immorality to clergymen, for instance. 

 The statement is true, nevertheless. 



