(2) Marriage restrictions are easily evaded, however; unscrupulous
physicians can usually be found to sign certificates. And where
marriage is prohibited, illegitimacy is sure to flourish. Hence the
segregation (with proper care) of those obviously unfit to become
parents seems necessary. Great as would be the initial expense, the
rapid reduction in the number of idiots, epileptics, etc, would in
a generation or two counterbalance it and greatly diminish the problem.
It is estimated that there are some three hundred thousand feeble-
minded persons in the United States, only twenty thousand of whom are
segregated in institutions, the rest being free to propagate-which
they do with notorious rapidity. Most of them can be made
self-supporting; and real as the hardship to some of them may be in
confining them from sex relations, the sacrifice seems demanded by
the welfare of coming generations.
(3) An alternative to segregation (for inheritable, but not for
communicable, diseases) is sterilization. The operation when performed
on adults seems to have no effects upon character or the enjoyment
of life, not even interfering with ordinary sex gratification. It is
not painful, and perfectly harmless, to man; for women there is a risk,
which is said, however, to be slight.[Footnote: Cf. Dr. E. C. Jones,
in Woman's Medical Journal, December, 1912.] Sterilization permits
the unfit to be entirely at liberty, to marry, if they can find mates,
and to have all the pleasures of life except that of parenthood.
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