Abstracts of Papers Read at the First International Eugenics Congress: University of London, July, 1912International Eugenics Congress (1st : 1912 : London)
Science
Abstracts of Papers Read at the First International Eugenics Congress: University of London, July, 1912
International Eugenics Congress (1st : 1912 : London)
Eugenics -- Congresses
The worst condition with regard to the fertility prevails among
those with the highest mental endowment. Evidence of this is given
in Figure C 123, "+Insufficient Fertility of the Highly Endowed
in Holland+," after J. R. Steinmetz. It shows the rapidity with
which the number of children decreases. In order to estimate the
significance of these statistics, it must be noted that after taking
into account the mortality among children and young persons, and the
unfitness for parenthood of an appreciable fraction of the adults,
a fully capable couple would have to produce at least four children
to assure the necessary moderate increase in the population which
is required to prevent a people from sinking into stagnation and
deterioration.
[Sidenote: C 124]
The dying out of highly gifted families is shown to be more accentuated
in Figure 255, after Bertillon, "+Progeny of the Highly Gifted in
France+." Four hundred and forty-five of the best known Frenchmen,
with their wives, have not even reproduced that number of individuals,
and this in spite of the fact that repeated marriages of the same
individuals have not been taken into account.
[Sidenote: C 125-126]
Even if one has been able, up to the present, to live in the hope
that the number of persons of more than average ability produced by
the mass of the people is always sufficient to replace those that are
used up, at the present time anxiety about the "heads" is replaced
by anxiety about the "hands." The knowledge of means of preventing
fertilization spreads incessantly, and is recklessly promulgated by
the neomalthusians and by a shameless industry. We point to Figure C
125, "+Want of Fertility in French Towns+," after Jayle, and to
Figure C 126, "+Fertility in Prussia+." In Berlin fertility is
decreasing most rapidly; at the end of the sixties it still amounted
to 200 in every 1,000 women of child-bearing age. In the five years,
1905-1910, only to 84; in the year 1910 only to 74. This state of
things is shown also in the relative increase in numbers of the first
born.
[Sidenote: C 127, 128 & 129]
Figure C 127, "+Decrease of Legitimate Fertility in Berlin--the
two-children system+." The other German towns follow the example
of Berlin. Berlin to-day produces 20% less children than are required
to maintain its own population without immigration, and the same
conditions will soon prevail in other towns. Up to now the country
districts in general maintain their fertility (West Prussia on Figure
C 128), but there, too, modern practices begin to make themselves
felt. The town and industrial population increases so rapidly that the
conditions prevailing among them have an ever increasing effect on the
people as a whole. Thus we see, even at the present time, a serious
decline in fertility among an overwhelming majority of European States:
Figure C 129, "+Decrease of Fertility in Some European States+."
[Sidenote: D]
Exhibited by David Fairchild Weeks, M.D.,
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