598 Correspondence. [September, 
book to the careful attention of all who profess an interest in 
their fellow-creatures.’ Flourish, then, malaria, snakes, and wild 
beasts, but save us from ourselves — from an increase of Indian 
population ! ” 
Surely what is here said of India, if true at all, is equally true 
of England, and indeed of all old-peopled countries. Will not 
the labours of sanitary reformers, temperance advocates, and 
philanthropists generally, if successful, result mainly in an in- 
tensification of the struggle for existence. Hence man is con- 
fronted with a dilemma from which there appears no escape. 
Malthusianism, which all political economists favour in their 
hearts, is useless, since the race or nation which adopts it simply 
effaces itself, and is overbalanced by its rivals. Is, then, the 
safety or the very existence of a commuity only to be bought by 
the misery of a large proportion of its component units. — I 
am, &c., 
Eosphoros. 
CRUELTY OF THE STRUGGLE FOR EXISTENCE. 
To the Editor of the Journal of Science. 
Sir, — When we point out the harshness of the law of Natural 
Selection we are sometimes told that if the triumph of the strong 
involves a certain amount of suffering, the triumph of the weak 
would involve the degradation of the race. But we may surely 
ask, Is there any necessity that the weak should be called into 
existence to be trampled down ? Suppose it were a law of 
“ Nature ” that an organism temporarily or permanently diseased 
or debilitated should be ipso facto temporarily or permanently 
incapable of reproduction, — would not the larger part of the weak 
never come into existence ? would not the place which they now 
occupy until trodden down remain open for the strong, and would 
not an immense amount of misery be prevented ? But to a very 
large extent the opposite rule prevails : sickly trees often yield 
the most numerous fruits or seeds, and consumptive persons 
have very frequently the largest families. — I am, &c., 
Nemo. 
