Something can be done to lessen reproduction among the unfit by enlightened public sentiment and by better marriage laws. Marriage of persons with marked intellectual or temperamental abnormalities should be entirely prohibited. To prevent the marriage of normal persons with those carrying a neuropathic taint more knowledge of family stocks must be made available. At the present time genealogical records of the average family are woefully meager and comparatively few are available for public inspection. If we are to improve the race by better marriages, genealogical or eugenic bureaus must be established in cities and villages. Data concerning family stocks should show the defects as well as the excellencies and achievements of the individuals recorded and be available to interested parties. Love is proverbially blind, but few normal persons would be rash enough knowingly to join fortunes with a neuropathic or degenerate family stock. Unfortunately very little thought is now given to the eugenic significance of marriage and few signs warn impetuous youth of the danger ahead. Eugenic bureaus, by collecting data concerning family histories and by emphasizing the importance of family stock, would naturally promote marriages among persons of good stock and thereby increase procreation of a desirable kind. The increase of good stock would raise the general level of the race, even if there were no decrease of poor stock, but we may safely assume that more definite knowledge would gradually lessen reproduction among the unfit. The elimination of mental defects and diseases is after all principally a matter of education. We must learn by careful research what should be done and what should not be done and then disseminate the information so that it will be shared by every household. Action will slowly follow knowledge, but ultimately a more perfect race will be evolved. MENTAL HYGIENE QUARTERLY MAGAZINE OF THE NATIONAL COMMITTEE FOR MENTAL HYGIENE, INC. PUBLICATION OFFICE: 27 COLUMBIA STREET, ALBANY. N. Y. EDITORIAL OFFICE: 370 SEVENTH AVENUE, NEW YORK CITY EDITORIAL BOARD THOMAS W. SALMON, M.D., _Medical Director, The National Committee for Mental Hygiene_ FRANKWOOD E. WILLIAMS, M.D., _Associate Medical Director, The National Committee for Mental Hygiene_ WALTER E. FERNALD, M.D., _Superintendent, Massachusetts School for Feebleminded_ C. MACFIE CAMPBELL, _Director, Boston Psychopathic Hospital_ STEPHEN P. DUGGAN, PH.D., _Professor of Education, College of the City of New York_ STEWART PATON, M.D., _Lecturer in Neuro-biology, Princeton University_ Vol. V, No. 4 INDEX October, 1921 The Significance of the Conditioned Reflex in Mental Hygiene, _William H. Burnham_ 673 The Elementary School and the Individual Child _Esther Loring Richards_ 707