MARRIAGE OF THE UNFIT.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 7 August 1913, Page 4

MARRIAGE OF THE UNFIT.

In spite <if the adverse criticism of the proposal of the Victorian. Board of Health in relation to the production of a medical cort.ifi.onto of health by each of the contracting parties'in marriage, that body "is ,pursuing its investigations with a view to the adoption of this proposal. At a recent/meeting of. the Board it was resolved that application should be made to the authorities of the State of Dakota (U.S.A. - )"for information as to the working of a > similar Act there. The American me:;sure is very drastic, as it forbids - the marriage within the. State of any common drunkard, habitual • criminal, epileptic, feeble-minded person, idiot, or insane person, "or anyone who has been affected by hereditary insanity, pulmonary, tuberculosis i» an advanced stage, or any contagious or.venereal disease. The same measure provides that before the marriage license Is issued an affidavit must he produced to the effect that the contracting parties are-qualified to marry. While there is no doubt that the experiment of a measure of this kind must tend to improve the race (says the Australasiarf"Medical Gazette), it would ri6t get over the difficulty of illegitimate intercourse amongst mental and physical defectives, resulting in the birth of degenerate illegitimate children.