The Dominion. SATURDAY, AUGUST 16, 1913. SCIENCE AND SOCIAL REFORM. SCIENCE AND SOCIAL REFORM.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1830, 16 August 1913, Page 4

The Dominion. SATURDAY, AUGUST 16, 1913. SCIENCE AND SOCIAL REFORM. SCIENCE AND SOCIAL REFORM.

There can be no doubt that the investigations of modern scientists in connection with the theories of heredity are destined to have a very important bearing upon the question of social reform. A cablegram which appeared in Thursday's is3ue of The Dominion announced tha f < Professor' Bateson stated at tho Medical Congress that it is impossible to avoid the conviction that no matter what hygienic or educational methods may be brought to bear, the ultimate decision in the matter of racial betterment rests with the germ cells; but, notwithstanding this fact, the present position _ of geneti': science, which deals with the problems of heredity, does not justify the resort to extreme measures, such as tho control of marriage on a eugenic basiß. Modern theories of heredity do not warrant the belief tha 1 ; merely by the improvement of tha environment of the people and making their lives more pleasant and comfortable,.the physical and mental standard of the race is going to be materially raised. Of course, all these things are very desirable, and the efforts made to better the conditions of the masses pf tho people have done much to make life more worth living to an increasingly largo number of people; but it is almost certain that the cffect of these methods, taken by themselves, in adding to the physical fitness of the racc, has been greatly overestimated. Ma Doncaster, in his book on heredity, states that "it is commonly supposed that inherited disease arises largely from the cumulative effect of bad conditions, drink, and the like, but it has been seen how doubtful it i 3 whether the effects of such things are really transmitted, and in any case it can bo proved that, in comparison with the germinal constitution, tho effects of environment are relatively insignificant. Given parents of certain constitution, it can be said with confidence that on thz average a certain proportion of their offspring will have such and such characters." We certainly have not yet got down to bedrock in the scientific investigations concerning thi problem of the unfit, and until w-j do so there is danger of more harm than good being done in the long run by the methods adopted by some altruistic people and charitablo institutions for helping certain types of those unfortunate people who have gone under in tho struggle for existence.

It must always be borne in mind, however, that science has not said its last word on heredity and Kindred questions. There is so much'uncertainty and difference of opinion on these matters, that no Government would be justified in enforcing any drastic or elaborate measures of eugenic reform. All that can with safety bo said is that some restriction ought to be made on tho reproduction of .those who aro mentally deficient, and perhaps in a few glaring eases of physical unfitness. Tho prevailing theory of heredity need aot paralyso our efforts for human for even if it were established, it would not' alter the faot that every individual is to a largo extent the master of his own fate, for though he cannot transmit his acquired characters to his offspring, neither can he blame his parents for his own shortcomings. Any handicap that Nature ma,y have put upon him may to a certain extent bo compensated for by nurture, and the better his environment the better his opportunity of developing on right lines, and making the most of his life. There is, therefore, amplo scope in the world for well-con-sidercd measures of social reform, such as the abolition of slums, better sanitation,- and opportunities for healthy recreation—in a word, for the improvement of man's environment; for the development of the life of tho individual, and his influence on his generation are, in many respects, conditioned more by. these things than by the inborn qualities with which he makes a start.

The germ cell theory to which Professor Bateson referred in his address has been the subject of a great deal of discussion among scientists for many years. It was at one time held that the germ cells were produced by tho body, and that they in somo way contained what may be described as samples of its parts •which are moro or less fully developed in the succeeding generation. But, to quote Mr. Doncaster once more, as tho study of heredity and of tho origin of the germ cells ha-s progressed, biologists have given up this view in favour of a belief in germinal continuity, that is, that the germ substance is derived from previous germ substance, the body being a kind of offshoot from it. The child is thutf like its parent, not becauso it is produced from the parent, but because both child and parent are produced from the same stock of germ-plasm. . This view points to the great importance of taking steps to put somo' restrictions upon the propagation of tbe unfit, as well as changing tho environment for the better, if tho standard of the race is to be improved. Man has turned tho edge of natural selection, and it is now becoming increasingly necessary to find something to do its work; but a satisfactory substitute has not yet been discovered. The trouble is that the betterment of one generation resulting from schemes of social reform have only an indirect influence on the characteristics of those who follow, and there is a growing conviction among scientists who have closely studied the question that the most effective safeguard against progressive degeneration is somo form of selective parenthood; but in the present state of our knowledge very little can be done in this direction. Eugenic reformers must at present confine themselves almost entirely to scientific investigation and the education of public opinion. One or two modest steps might be taken to check reproduction in certain cases, but the time is not ripo for any legislative experiments of a far-reaohing character.