444 HEREDITY AND ENVIRONMENT 



After all in the choosing of mates a combi- 

 nation of instinct and intelligence is probably 

 the safest guide. Our instincts, built up 

 through long ages, are generally adaptive and 

 useful, and if they be guided by reason the re- 

 sult is apt to be better than if either instinct or 

 reason act alone. More need not be said on 

 this subject, since it is treated ad infinitum in 

 works of fiction and in ladies' journals. 



4. Contributory Eugenical Measures. — In 

 addition to the negative and positive eugenical 

 measures mentioned many conditions may be 

 classed as contributary to eugenics. One of 

 the most important of all contributary meas- 

 ures is the general education of the people re- 

 garding heredity. The wide- spread ignorance 

 on this subject is profound and very many of- 

 fenders against the principles of good breeding 

 have sinned through ignorance. Any general 

 reform must rest upon enlightened public 

 opinion, and the schools, the churches and the 

 press can do no more important work for man- 

 kind than to educate the people, after they 

 have been educated themselves, on this im- 

 portant matter. 



