E-text prepared by Project Gutenberg Distributed Proofreaders BIRTH CONTROL A Statement of Christian Doctrine against the Neo-Malthusians BY HALLIDAY G. SUTHERLAND, M.D. (Edin.) CONTENTS CHAPTER I THE ESSENTIAL FALLACIES OF MALTHUSIAN TEACHING Section 1. MALTHUS AND THE NEO-MALTHUSIANS. (a) Malthus (b) The Neo-Malthusians Section 2. TEACHING BASED ON FALSE PREMISES. (a) That Population progresses geometrically (b) That Food Supply progresses arithmetically (c) That Overpopulation is the cause of Poverty and Disease Section 3. THE ROOT FALLACY Section 4. WHAT OVERPOPULATION MEANS Section 5. NO EVIDENCE OF OVERPOPULATION (a) In the Suez Canal Zone (b) In "Closed Countries" like Japan Section 6. A NATURAL LAW CHECKING FERTILITY Section 7. OVERPOPULATION IN THE FUTURE Section 8. HOW NATIONS HAVE PERISHED Section 9. PHYSICAL CATASTROPHES (a) Disease (b) War Section 10. MORAL CATASTROPHES CHAPTER II THE FALSE DEDUCTIONS CONCERNING POVERTY Section 1. BIRTH-RATE AND POVERTY (a) Famines (b) Abundance (c) Wages Section 2. POVERTY IN GREAT BRITAIN DUE TO OTHER CAUSES (a) Under-development (b) Severance of the Inhabitants from the Soil Section 3. CAUSES OF POVERTY IN INDIA Section 4. POVERTY IN FACT CAUSES A HIGH BIRTHRATE (a) Malthusianism is an attack on the Poor (b) A Hindrance to Reform (c) A Quack Remedy for Poverty Section 5. POVERTY AND CIVILISATION CHAPTER III HIGH BIRTH-RATES NOT THE CAUSE OF HIGH DEATH-RATES Section 1. POVERTY AS NOW EXISTING Section 2. HIGH BIRTH-RATE NOT THE CAUSE OF HIGH DEATH-RATE: PROVED FROM STATISTICS (a) Canada (b) Connaught Section 3. A LOW BIRTH-RATE NO GUARANTEE OF A LOW DEATH-RATE Section 4. VITAL STATISTICS OF FRANCE Section 5. COEFFICIENTS OF CORRELATION CHAPTER IV HOW RELIGION AFFECTS THE BIRTHRATE Section 1. FRENCH STATISTICS MISINTERPRETED BY MALTHUSIANS Section 2. EVIDENCE FROM HOLLAND Section 3. THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Section 4. THE SAME RESULTS IN ENGLAND CHAPTER V IS THERE A NATURAL LAW REGULATING THE PROPORTION OF BIRTHS AND DEATHS? Section 1. THE THEORY OF THOMAS DOUBLEDAY REVIVED Section 2. MR. PELL'S GENERALISATIONS CRITICISED Section 3. THE LAW OF DECLINE Section 4. ILLUSTRATED FROM GREEK HISTORY (a) Moral Catastrophe in Ancient Greece (b) The Physical Catastrophe induced by Selfishness CHAPTER VI THE FALLING BIRTH-RATE IN ENGLAND: ITS CAUSES Section 1. NOT, AS MALTHUSIANS ASSERT, DUE MAINLY TO CONTRACEPTIVES Section 2. DECLINE IN FERTILITY DUE TO SOME NATURAL LAW Section 3. AND TO CHARACTER OF OCCUPATION. Section 4. AGGRAVATED DOUBTLESS BY MALTHUSIANISM CHAPTER VII THE EVILS OF ARTIFICIAL BIRTH CONTROL Section 1. NOT A PHYSICAL BENEFIT (a) A Cause of Sterility (b) Neuroses (c) Fibroid Tumours Section 2. A SCANDALOUS SUGGESTION Section 3. A CAUSE OF UNHAPPINESS IN MARRIAGE