BIRTH CONTROL

Hokitika Guardian, 18 November 1929, Page 6

BIRTH CONTROL

NOTED EXPERT’S STATEMEXT

[United Press Association.—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.]•

LONDON, Nov. 16

“I. know that 1 am dropping a bomb,” said Sir Robert Armstrong Jones, M.D., 11S„ D.Sc., FcR.C.S.. F.R.C.P.. F.S.A., (Lord Chancellor's Visitor in Lunacy and Expert in dental Diseases), when challenging argiu ments that arc advanced by Air Harold Cox, ALA., the Editor of the Edinburgh Review, In urging wider facilities for' hir.tli contrdl among the lower classes; and also urging -the voluntary sterilisation of llte unfit. Sir R. A. Jones continued: —'Tf you arc going to sterilise mental deficients, why not sterilise 'criminals, drunkards and political anostutes ?

Mr Harold Cox’s remarks were made at a lecture over which Sir R. Armstrong Jones presided. Sir Robert maintained that; large families were the greatest help,- lll ° members assisting one - another. He doubted if there had been any increase in mental deficiency, which had simply been made more apparent by more careful diagnos : s. Moreover ho said, mental deficiency was not hound to- be inherited.

His practice, added Sir Robert, showed tliat. the absence of; ch.ldron caused' ' neurasthenia in married women, leading to insanity. If b ; itb control” were instituted on a large scale,’ there would ho the need lor more lunatic asylums for women.