Searchlights on Health: The Science of EugenicsJefferis, B. G. (Benjamin Grant)
Philosophy
Searchlights on Health: The Science of Eugenics
Jefferis, B. G. (Benjamin Grant)
Eugenics; Hygiene; Marriage; Medicine, Popular; Sexual ethics
"An eminent lady teacher, in talking to her pupils once said, 'The
greatest calamity that can befall a woman is never to have a child.
The next greatest calamity is to have one only.' From my professional
experience I am happy to testify that more women seek to overcome
causes of sterility than to obtain knowledge of limiting the size of
the family or means to destroy the embryo. Also, if consultation for
the latter is sought, it is usually at the instigation of the husband.
Believing in the rights of unborn children, and in the maternal
instinct, I am consequently convinced that no knowledge should be
withheld that will secure proper conditions for the best parenthood."
10. THE CASE OF THE JUKE FAMILY.--We submit the following case of the
Juke family, mostly of New York state, as related by Dr. R.L. Dugdale,
when a member of the prison Association, and let the reader judge for
himself:
"It was traced out by painstaking research that from one woman called
Margaret, who, like Topsy, merely 'growed' without pedigree as a
pauper in a village of the upper Hudson, about eighty-five years ago,
there descended 673 children, grandchildren and great grandchildren,
of whom 200 were criminals of the dangerous class, 280 adult
paupers, and 50 prostitutes, while 300 children of her lineage died
prematurely. The last fact proves to what extent in this family nature
was kind to the rest of humanity in saving it from a still larger
aggregation or undesirable and costly members, for it is estimated
that the expense to the State of the descendants of Maggie was over
a million dollars, and the State itself did something also towards
preventing a greater expense by the restrain exercised upon the
criminals, paupers, and idiots of the family during a considerable
portion of their lives."
11. MODERATION.--Continence, self-control, a willingness to deny
himself--that is what is required from the husband. But a thousand
voices reach us from suffering women in all parts of the land that
this will not suffice; that men refuse thus to restrain themselves;
that it leads to a loss of domestic happiness and to illegal amour, or
it is injurious physically and morally; that, in short, such advice is
useless because impracticable.
12. NATURE'S METHOD.--To such we reply that nature herself has
provided to some extent, against overproduction. It is well known that
women, when nursing, rarely become pregnant, and for this reason, if
for no other, women should nurse their own children, and continue the
period until the child is at least nine months or a year old. However,
the nursing, if continued too long, weakens both the mother and the
child.
13. ANOTHER PROVISION OF NATURE.--For a certain period between her
monthly illness, every woman is sterile. Conception may be avoided by
refraining from coition except for this particular number of days,
and there will be no evasion of natural intercourse, no resort to
disgusting practices, and nothing degrading.
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