Child-Protection and the Population Question--Fertility of the Lower Classes--The Tendency of Evolution 1 CHAPTER II STATISTICAL PROBLEMS OF POPULATION Miscarriages, Premature Births, and Still-Births--Mortality--The Productive Age and the Unproductive Age--Classification of the Population according to Age--The Excess of Women--Marriage-- Illegitimate Sexual Relations 11 CHAPTER III CHILD MORTALITY Statistical Data--Certain Contributory Causes--The Chief Causes of Infant Mortality--The Great Number of Children--Child Mortality in the Towns--The Effect of Housing Conditions--The Effect of Age--Time of Birth, Seasons, and Meteorological Conditions 17 CHAPTER IV THE QUALITY OF THE POPULATION; ARTIFICIAL SELECTION (EUGENICS) AND EDUCATION Natural Selection and Artificial Selection--The Interests of the Future Generation--Inheritance and Education--Nature of Education--Character of the Child--Limits of Educability--The Aim of Education--Good Example--Confidence and Love--Reward and Punishment--Education by the Parents--Education in different Social Classes--Parents, School, Environment--The Tendency of Evolution 25 CHAPTER V PROS AND CONS OF CHILD-PROTECTION Introductory--Objections to Child-Protection--Objections to the Care of Foundlings--Darwinism _versus_ Poor-Relief--Darwinism _versus_ Child-Protection--The Right View--Socialism _versus_ Poor-Relief--Socialism _versus_ Child-Protection--The Right View 42 CHAPTER VI THE EXECUTIVE INSTRUMENTS OF CHILD-PROTECTION Introductory--Local Governing Bodies--The Community at large-- The Central Government--A Unified System of Laws for Child-Protection--A Centralised Authority for Child-Protection-- Private and Official Activities--The Medical Profession--Women 58 SPECIAL PART _A._--Department of Civil Law and Individual Rights CHAPTER I MARRIAGE AND PARENTAL AUTHORITY Introductory--Parental Authority and Marriage--History of Marriage--Child-Protection and the Family--Maternal Authority-- Fiduciary Character of Parental Authority--The Elementary Principles of State Interference with Parental Authority (the State as “Over-Parent”) 71 CHAPTER II MARRIAGE AND HEREDITY Heredity in General--Inheritance of Diseases--Individual Diseases--The Age of the Parents--The Marriage of Near Kin-- Disease in the Parents from the Legal Standpoint--Divorce-- Marriage-Prohibitions in Past Times--Proposed Reforms-- Objections--The Right View--How to Effect Reforms--The Tendency of Evolution 77 CHAPTER III THE PROTECTION OF ILLEGITIMATE CHILDREN