PERMANENCY OF EUGENIC REFORM 71 slackening in our efforts to produce immediate beneficial effects. But, as the generations succeed each other, actually to shift forward the anchor of heredity is the only way in which advances can be made without at the same time causing an ever-increasing tendency to spring back towards the point of departure; and thus to secure racial progress is the aim of eugenics. But what if social forces are now in fact slowly deteriorating the inborn qualities of man, or slowly dragging backwards the anchor of heredity? If this be what is now taking place, we shall not for long be able to counteract this evil influence however much we may strive to stretch the cords of environment. It is to these racial questions that we must now pass on. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS Traditions of many kinds are passed on from generation to generation in many ways, and changes in physical surroundings leave their mark on the world for long periods of time, all these legacies together constituting environmental inheritance. Tradition, which is the most important element of civilization, accumulates slowly. In the long run civilization depends on the hereditary qualities of the race, whilst more immediately it depends on the civilization of the preceding generations. All the reforms which have been made since the dawn of civilization may be described as environmental reforms. By such reforms great advances have been made in learning, in comfort, and in regard to infectious diseases, whilst the results have been disappointing in regard to all that is generally held to be associated with morals, intellect and bodily constitution. In other words, social reform has been most effective when working with the grain of human nature and least effective when working against it. Improvements in human surroundings usually entail increased efforts and sacrifices in the future, and they consequently carry with them an increased tendency to backsliding. But in all this we find no excuse whatever for abandoning any effort to improve human surroundings which it is believed would on balance be beneficial. It does appear, however, that there is an impediment in the way of social progress which has hitherto been insufficiently recognized, and this impediment is heredity or the germinal constitution of man. To pass on superior germinal constitutions as a legacy to the coming generations is the only way in which permanent benefits to posterity can certainly be secured. We know that some doors must ever remain closed to all of us who now are living on earth, but we should try by the study of heredity to open these doors as widely as possible for all future generations. This is the task of eugenic reform. CHAPTER VI RACIAL POISONS WHAT SHOULD EUGENICS INCLUDE ? THE aim of Eugenics being to endeavour by certain methods to improve the lot of posterity, the first question to be answered is-In what ways can this generation. affect future generations for good or for evil? Before discussing the answers to this question it may be as well to state that the term 'germ plasm' is here intended to indicate the thing, whatever it may be, by means of which the natural qualities of parents are transmitted to their offspring, or the physical link which binds succeeding generations one to another. Looking only to beneficial results, every method by means of which we may hope to affect the well-being of our nation in the future may be included under one of the following five headings : (1) Environmental inheritance; or the passing on to future generations both of good traditions by speech and by writings and of enduring physical improvements. (2) Pre-natal environment; or the safeguarding of children before birth from infections, poisons and improper nourishment. (3) Racial poisons; or the guarding against any directly injurious effect on the germ plasm which might result from the presence of certain substances or organisms in the body of the parent. (4) The inheritance of acquired differences ; or the beneficial effects which the good surroundings, mental or physical, of existing potential parents may have on their germ plasms and consequently on their descendants. (5) Selection; or the relative increase in the numbers of persons to be born in the future of good stock and therefore likely to be endowed with good inborn qualities. With regard to the first of these methods of benefiting posterity, namely by the passing on of good environmental inheritance, all that need here be said is that though this is a matter of immense importance, it is not the subject-matter of this book. Eugenists have no doubt often been accused of being callous as regards the good likely to result from improved surroundings, whether moral, mental or physical; an accusation which we can only declare with wearisome reiteration to be false. This attack is as unjustifiable as it would be to condemn a writer on pure mathematics on the ground that he had neglected all social problems in his published works. Indeed, the eugenist now fully recognizes the fact that racial methods of benefiting posterity would as a rule be facilitated by any improvements which might now be made in human surroundings, whether post- or pre-natal; because the causes of the evils still remaining to be combated would thus be made more easily recognizable. If human surroundings were now to become quite perfect, then all those differences between different individuals which would still exist, would be due to natural inheritance or differences in inborn qualities; for if all human beings were equally well nurtured, they could only differ from each other in regard to their natures. In a Utopia, where environment could not be further improved, environmental reforms could accomplish nothing more; and the nearer we approach to these imaginary conditions, that is to say the more perfect became human surroundings, the more clearly would it be seen that in many respects we can only hope to attain the racial benefits we seek by reforms other than those here described as environmental. Environmental reforms will tend to make more and more clear the advantages of eugenic reform. Passing on to questions connected with improvements in pre-natal environment, it may be held that the word eugenic' ought to be made to cover all methods of ensuring that the coming generation shall be 'well born in every sense which could be attached to these words. DEFINITION OF EUGENICS 75 Many eugenists take this view, and to it no logical objection can be raised. But for both practical and sentimental reasons I prefer to make the science or practice of eugenics cover no more than that particular science or practice which Sir Francis Galton had in his mind when he coined the word 'eugenics'; and no careful student of his works can doubt that what he was endeavouring to promote under this title was the legitimate utilization of all those forces or methods, whatever they may be, which have been instrumental in the past in the promotion of evolutionary progress in the animal world. Improvements in pre-natal environment, however strongly they should be advocated, would only be eugenic' in the Galtonian meaning of the word if they tended to promote the slow improvement of the inborn qualities of the race; and whether pre-natal care will have such an effect or not is a highly debatable point to which we shall have to return. In favour of a wider definition of eugenics than that here suggested, it may be urged that progress is likely to be hampered by definitions tending to confine any science too rigidly within the boundaries of one single field of inquiry. This is a danger certainly to be guarded against; for every science must rely somewhat on neighbouring sciences. But on the other hand, since scientific labourers should be scattered over the whole area of knowledge, definitions, or the naming of the different fields into which this whole area may be divided, do help to ensure that no field shall go quite untilled. To continue the same simile, those plantations which yield no return for many years can reflect but little immediate credit on the labourer, and areas thus utilized are likely to be neglected in comparison with those fields from which more rapid returns are to be obtained. The eugenist is not looking for rapid returns, as his crop will only be reaped in future generations; and being, therefore, peculiarly tempted to stray away in search of pastures permitting quicker growths, he should have the boundaries of his own field laid out with especial care. Philanthropists, when nobly striving to sweep away the many social ills |