The Eugenic Marriage, Volume 3 (of 4): A Personal Guide to the New Science of Better Living and Better BabiesHague, W. Grant (William Grant)
Science
The Eugenic Marriage, Volume 3 (of 4): A Personal Guide to the New Science of Better Living and Better Babies
Hague, W. Grant (William Grant)
Eugenics; Hygiene; Marriage
There is another feature of early marriages that should receive serious
consideration. A girl of eighteen or twenty has not reached that period
of growth where certain inherited tendencies will show. If she has
inherited a predisposition to consumption she may outgrow this period
provided she is permitted to reach her full growth without subjecting
her constitution to any strenuous physical or mental strain. If,
however, this girl marries and becomes a mother, the incident effect
upon her health will most likely weaken her to the extent of bringing to
the surface the inherited tendency. Many mothers succumb to just such
conditions, where had they remained single until a later period they
could have assumed the responsibility of maternity without any evil
consequences.
The idea that by an early marriage a woman can train and change the
inborn characteristics of her husband is a mistake. Few women can reform
a husband after marriage. If she cannot reform him before marriage she
will never do it afterward. These inborn traits will have their way
despite anything she may be able to do to change them--only the man
himself can control and govern them. During the period of this
temperamental transformation the function of parenthood should not be
exercised. Only when a man's character is fully matured should he be
permitted to transfer it to another generation.
The idea has been advanced that early marriages will tend to preserve
youth from sowing wild oats. The woman who is the victim of this
delusion will reap a harvest of discontent and misery. Any man who needs
the sacrifice of a woman to cultivate the art of self-control is not a
fit citizen, far less a fit husband or father. A man who is willing to
bring children into the world before he is a self-governed animal does
not understand the first principles of race-regeneration, and it is the
duty of parents to educate their sons and daughters in this fundamental
idea. To be an efficient parent one must be mentally, morally, and
physically developed.
THE WEDDING NIGHT;--ITS MEDICAL ASPECT.--The fundamental object of true
marriage is the propagation of the species. Woman plays the more
important part in the consummation of this duty inasmuch as she is the
origin and depository of the future being. It is, therefore, most
important that she should not be wholly ignorant of the nature and
responsibilities of her position. Suffering, disease and death may
result as a consequence of ignorance of these matters. It is the duty
and the privilege of medical science to state, in language which all may
understand, the facts regarding this interesting human event.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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