PARENTHOOD AND RACE CULTURE
BOOKS BY THE SAME AUTHOR
“WORRY: THE DISEASE OF THE AGE”
“EVOLUTION: THE MASTER KEY”
“HEALTH, STRENGTH, AND HAPPINESS”
Etc., Etc.
PARENTHOOD
AND
RACE CULTURE
An Outline of Eugenics
BY
CALEB WILLIAMS SALEEBY
M.D., Ch.B., F.Z.S., F.R.S. Edin.
FELLOW OF THE OBSTETRICAL SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH, MEMBER OF
COUNCIL OF THE EUGENICS EDUCATION SOCIETY, OF THE
SOCIOLOGICAL SOCIETY, AND OF THE NATIONAL LEAGUE
FOR PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND IMPROVEMENT
MEMBER OF THE ROYAL INSTITUTION
AND OF THE SOCIETY FOR THE
STUDY OF INEBRIETY
ETC., ETC.
CASSELL AND COMPANY, LTD.
LONDON, NEW YORK, TORONTO AND MELBOURNE
1909
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Dedicated
TO
FRANCIS GALTON
THE
AUGUST MASTER OF ALL EUGENISTS
PREFACE
This book, a first attempt to survey and define the wholefield of eugenics, appears in the year which finds uscelebrating the centenary of the birth of Charles Darwinand the jubilee of the publication of The Origin of Species.It is a humble tribute to that immortal name, for it isbased upon the idea of selection for parenthood as determiningthe nature, fate and worth of living races, whichis Darwin's chief contribution to thought, and whichfinds in eugenics its supreme application. The book isalso a tribute to the august pioneer who initiated themodern study of eugenics in the light of his cousin'sprinciple. A few years ago I all but persuaded Mr.Galton himself to write a general introduction to eugenics,but he felt bound to withdraw from that undertaking,and has given us instead his Memories, which we couldill have spared.
The present volume seeks to supply what is undoubtedlya real need at the present day—a general introduction toeugenics which is at least considered and responsible.I am indebted to more than one pair of searching andillustrious eyes, which I may not name, for reading theproofs of this volume. My best hopes for its utility arebased upon this fact. If there be any other reason forhope it is that during the last six years I have not onlywritten incessantly on eugenics, but have spoken uponvarious aspects of it some hundreds of times to audiencesas various as one can well imagine—a mainly clericalassembly at Lambeth Palace with the Primate in the[viii]Chair, drawing-rooms of title, working-class audiencesfrom the Clyde to the Thames. It has been my rule toinvite questions whenever it was possible. Such adiscipline is invaluable. It gives new ideas and pointsof view, discovers the existing forms of prejudice, sharplycorrects the tendency to partial statement. It is my hopethat these many hours of cross-examination