EUGENICS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 916, 8 September 1910, Page 2

EUGENICS.

PROPOSAL TO FORM A SOCIETY. SPEECH BY PROFESSOIt KIRK. The subject of eugenics was again before the Wellingtoh Philosophical Society last night.. • ••.'...-..: .... ';:. Professor Kirk, in advocating the formation of a society of eugenics, said that the need for such an .organisation arose from two facts—the absence of any chock on thb propagation of the unfit; and the absence of any nieans of ensuring the propagation of the fit. Locomotor ataxy, dcaf-nnitism, suicidal, maiiia; and other serious diseases were , passed on from parents to their children.- It was impossible to say that almost any form of insanity was not transmissible. Wβ.- mitigated environments, but. entirely neglected heredity. There was little .or evidence that advantageous qualities .acquired by, a person could be' transmitted to .offspring, but there . was no .doubt that acquired diseases were;so ■transmitted.. One of the worst of these was syphilis,, which, if not often directly transmittc-i, resulted often in the' death, : , ..ciit'eeble--rrient, ordefectiveness of the offspring. The subject was a most important, one, and unpleasant as it was;to bring it up,, there, could bo no doubt that a society should be .formed to keep it .before the people. ,He would dofino.eugenics,-for ' the purposes of the Bociety, .ascomprising whatever tended to 'make.the men of the future a better.expression^of tho potentialities of the race than were the men of to'-clay. He commended ■ to, the notice of .his hearors two proposals.that , had 'lately been 'mentioned" in,the ,pap- ; ers.: The - : first was. that ■e'v.ery person about. to - marry should lie;' required. to ■ produce ,a f certificate as. to- fitness,..plac-"' ing him, or her in;the;.first, second,' or, third class: There woujd be nbprphibitibn of marriage,, hutttho registration, would act as a aeterrerit J to,:unsuitable marriages, •and-.would-lead in the course, of time..to the .accuniulation.of .a:yalu-.able--body. of:statistics.; rThe.bther-prb-. posal was'ithat:no man should'-.be'i.al-lowed to "mariry -who could not produce' a; certificate of .freedom: ■ from syphilis i .in "a''cdiitagious foririi>';This;:would'not , prevent: hereditary,, taints but it;, would prevent-direct" .contagion',:■ and .direct transmission'to. offspring , ...;' Such, a .pro-; vision was. actually'in force in the State; of Michigan. Since. Ke/spoke}last, on the subject a.society;for..bugenics.had been formed in- Dunedin..'::;lt: was not nected h-with -tho iPliilosophical' and.that -iyas question .'.was : of imporfence; tp;a much; ■>rader-;oircle of citizen's ■':-than; '.those re£iche.d. By: the Philosophical.. Societies: He hoped ■ that any.', society ■that might be formed ..would,. nPt.. ■.Bβ - run . by., fad- , . distSj\and wpuldVgive: horplace on programme "to . any, -proposals ; setting .the marriage, system:''.'.He.lioped: that an •active branch;of ;the Eugenics Education Society'.; would..he;■ fbrined .in, Wellington, not] for the.. purpose of ef' :fecting; immediate' changes,-,s ; but;of: lightening the.-people.'.^..'.;- ; ;"■;■;«; >;,« ■■'■\>y • :-Mr.; Gγ: ;V.. Hudson said; th.it the fluence>of'heredity'.w^'s'.neglected by our. educational institutions;: The...liniyersity: called, for.'lth'eses on ancient p'h'ilokophert; —the , more Ancient;: the; bettex,'; appar-; ently--but;neyer.'on-ttte.'wofki of■ Darwin, Mendel, or .Weissmari.- 'vYiiiihg peb-. pie .were, riot'; taught tostliink-.of; such: things, j : He did . not; think';thfi ; . subject; was at all an unpleasant; one. >it was V; fascinating arid -iinpoftarit' -subject;v. r ';'; v ■The president. (Mi , :,A.!Hamilton),, in closing :tlie;discussion,"annpiinced .that' Professor r llirkwpuld; bei'glad to .-hear, from 'anyone who'.sympathise'dwithi.tne proposal to.'form a /branch of;the:._Eu-;" genics. Education , Society ' : in"; Welling-: ton.- '■/./■.■••.■■••\ ; :'':;;. \-Y : /Jx---- : '- : ':'-''\'-'-