Darwinism and Race Progress

e for the

bling his or her reproductive cells. These facts have not been gained by a study of the lower animals alone, for most researchers have kept man in view, while others, like Malthus and Galton, have confined their observations almost exclusively to the human kind. In this chapter we shall see how these generalisations are borne out by the study of disease, and we shall see what effect the modern methods for the treatment of the sickly and feeble are having upon the race. We mode

tive M

en, the limits of this power are more clearly seen, and the solution of a metallic salt, or decoction of a herb is now withheld when at one time it would have been administered with the fullest confidence. With this healthy scepticism as to their power to cure has come very certain and exact knowledge of how to prevent, and preventive medicine has recently exercised an influence upon diseas

f Diseases and th

be extinct, but they have in some cases been banished to distant parts of the globe, and in other cases the conditions suitable to their existence, and the means of their propagation are so well understood that their banishment is being systematically and successfully carried out, so much so that a di

ells are as a Rule

ucing racial change by selection. The micro-organisms of disease are of many varieties, and each variety is capable of setting up its own peculiar disturbance. The disturbance set up by one kind we call small-pox, that arising from another kind, cholera, and so on. Now, the very curious point comes out that in most of these diseases, although the composition of the blood is pr

nvaders. In so doing, however, the weaker phagocytes succumb to the struggle, while those which are left alive within the body of the convalescent patient possess the power of resisting and destroying the particular microbe which had undertaken the invasion. These resisting phagocytes, selected from the rest, together with their descendants, who share the

le to the germ (for instance, the introduction of measles and small-pox to newly discovered America, where fearful ravages were caused thereby), may be brought up as evidence to prove that those habitually living among the germs must have become immune and have transmitted this immunity to their progeny. Again, the black population of Sierra Leone have only a mortality of 24 per cent. from malaria, while the mortality of the white settlers is 47 per cent.;[12] and, in this case, it may be urged that the black race has become by transmission of immunity partially immune. But these c

d by the Action of t

rica, whose races have never been so selected, and who, when attacked for the first time by these diseases, are ravaged almost to extermination. We find, then, that an ordinary attack of measles, scarlet fever, whooping cough, erysipelas, typhoid, or typhus fever, when it has passed away, leaves the tissues of the body in as sound and healthy a condition as before; and, indeed, were it not for this fact, the human race could hardly have existed at all, continually exposed as it has been, for countless ages, to the aggressions of these microbes. By exterminating th

terminator of

f blood changes, have a profound and lasting effect upon many of th

nd it is not transmitted from parent to child.[13] A disease of medi?val, not of modern, Europe, we need not discuss its action on racial change more than to say that, hideous as are its aspects, it must be looked upon as a friend to humanity; for, while the microbe of typhoid fever will attack a man who is healthy and living in hea

velop and attack the tissues of the grub of the next generation. In syphilis the same kind of thing no doubt occurs; for a syphilitic child may subsequently infect the mother or nurse during the period of suckling. But there are other cases in this disease which appear hardly to be explained so easily, and we have to assume that the germinal cells are themselves changed in some way during their sojourn in the parental body, for after a certain time the disease is no longer capable of transmission by the parent, and the children born afte

upon the germinal cells. The microbe of syphilis, unlike the microbe of leprosy, but like that of measles, feeds on healthy blood and tissue. It attacks the strong as well as the weak, and, if the weak more readily succumb,

and Scrofula, ou

carried this micro-organism within the mouth or stomach, and though our gastric juice has not been able to destroy it, as is the case with so many of our invisible foes, it has been unable to pass into our blood or lacteals. Dr. Woodhead puts this fact strongly.[14] He says: "A perfectly he

nstantly meeting with persons belonging to very consumptive families who escape the disease by living under conditions where the bacillus tuberculosus is likely to be absent. On the other hand, persons such as nurses are in all probability frequently inhaling the mic

hthisical type of person is one who comes of a family liable to fall a prey to this microbe, and he is recognisabl

ve the vulnerability to this one form of microbe they are to be looked upon as unsuited not only for the battle of

type is very common with us indeed, and it appears to be an innate variation to which our race is liable. It is evident, therefore, that those people with the tuberculous variation who, even under the present circumstances, manage to contribute their quota to the population, would, were the bacillus tuberculosus altogether exterminated, contribute more than their share, and the type would become more common. And let it be remembered that this type, apart from the action of the bacillus, is a delicate and fragile one and liable to other affections, and

ctious Diseases we p

eeble. It is like the bacillus of leprosy in this respect, but in this respect only, for leprosy attacks anyone living under certain unhygienic conditions. Remov

ated rooms, and who conform to every sanitary regulation, may still belong to the type who fall a prey to it. It is certain, therefore, that, improve the external conditions of life how you will, this type will rem

pt seriously to do away with their selective influence-viz., the elimination of the weak and the preservation of the strong-we must supply this selective influence by one equally potent, or the race will tend to deteriorate. What can be done in the future, and what it is expedient for us to do at the present time, will be more fully discussed in a subsequent chapter; but I may state at once

nal weakness of the respiratory and other organs, as well as insanity, are frequent enough to merit our close attention. Of cancer we at present know too little, and I propose to leave it on one side. Of inherited weakness of special systems we have many examples, such as a

consequently propagated from the stronger ones. Within certain limits cold, exposure and coarse food are compatible with great physical excellence, for the cold and exposure, hurtful to the sickly, braces and hardens the more robust, and coarse but nutritive food supplies him with energy and streng

n by flannel and wool, and the use of many foods, some of them artificially digested, gives a sickly infant a chance of living, and it survives its first most dangerous years. Then its chances are again improved, for the infective diseases are being held in check, and it has comparatively li

the people. Improved sanitary surroundings, as we have seen, are taken advantage of chiefly by the sickly, and thus with our increased probability of life we have diminished the average robustness of constitution, or innate healthiness of t

al premises, but it is also possible, I think, to show by stati

aths, and

arriages, we shall gain pretty full information concerning the deaths from disease

Constitution

to be observed of late years. Phthisis and scrofula placed by themselves in this group share in this decrease. In the second group are diseases that are due in great measure to carelessness, want of management, neglect and ignorance, such as convulsions, diseases of dentition, parturition and registered accidents. These, too, as one would expect, diminish yearly in a country where surrounding comforts and a sense of responsibility are on the increase. When we turn to the third group, that of constitutional disease, where the hereditary te

arious causes, per million persons l

e table for na

861–65. 1866–70. 1871–75.

OU

304·0 3311·0 3300·2 294

nisms[17] 4403·9 4498·6 4677

UP

ulsions, accident and negligence 2257·0

UP

ses[18] 6056·3 6311·4 6594

l defined fever, whooping cough, diphtheria, miasmatic diseases, ch

ry and respiratory systems, cancer, dia

years of life. The increase in the number of deaths from constitutional diseases, occurring as they do in middle or advanced age, are probably due to the survival of an increased number of individuals into the period of maturity. From this table it is difficult to say whethe

e at some sort of decision as to the healthiness of the middle-aged and elderly people living to-day,

Advanced Years

ates per 1,000 are given for different age periods, and these resu

e census returns. The numbers dying at that age being known, these are given in the table per 1,000 persons of that age. In order to reduce the number of

ales per 1000 l

ars. GR

d upw

0 112·

0 111·

0 110·

0 101·

0 87·8

he earlier years of life, and similar results are also brought o

ences are variable, and that certain groups of years are especially healthy and others inimical to well-being. That the last period is a very healthy one is indicated by the excessive fall seen in Group I., and by a corresponding fall in the number of deaths of females. These climatic variations may

we shall find that the mortality of the last twenty years is greater than that of the first. By taking in this way longer periods of time, we can elimina

conclusively be demonstrated by a study

bles co

n the first period could expect to live 39·91 years if he lived to an average age; a child born in the second period had a longer expectancy of life, namely, 41·35 years. While, however, the expectancy at birth during childhood and youth has been increased, the following table (extracted

ctation of Life

854. G

1–1

·91

·71

7·05

3·18

9·48

6·12

2·76

9·40

6·06

2·76

9·54

6·45

3·53

0·82

·45

·49

·93

·73

·84

·17

1·68

tion of the Race

e external conditions. Calculations from other periods of years would be here of great value, in order further to eliminate the effects of climatic changes, etc., and it must be remembered that the figures which are the basis of all statistics are only approximate

terioration has already begun as a sequence to that care for the individual which has characterised the efforts of modern society. The bi

TNO

k of the Theory and Prac

prosy Commission

and other Pro

to Modern Therapeut

al Inherita