D. C. Gini.Sociology and Eugenics.295
The data published by the Scandinavian Society for the insurance of live
stock refer, no doubt, to a rather select equine population; for the insured
horses are undoubtedly better cared for in general than those not insured ; but
in any case their mortality during development is still much less than that of
human classes living under the best hygienic and economic conditions.
The following data (5), though not very recent, leads us to suppose that
a survival of 93% to 94% at one year of age, and of 80% to 85% at 20 years
of age constitutes in the human species a maximum not easy to improve
uponTABLE I.
Survival of offspring among the higher classes of the human species.
Numbers of survival of every 1,000 born at the age X.
AgeUpper Classes (Ansell 1874)English Peers
(Bayley & Day)
(1861)Reigning Families of
Europe
1841-90
(Sundbarg)
X.ClergyLegal ProfessionMedical ProfessionOther Families
I926920913916930936 588600 00862854899877
10867855837840882— 15848839821825——•- 25785781768768—— Moreover, the data for the general population which can be extracted from
census figures, rough approximation though they are, confirm the fact that
with increase of age the number of survivors in the equine species diminishes
much less rapidly than in the human species (6).
2. The absence of statistics relating to other species of the higher animals,
in a wild state, leaves room for two main hypotheses; either the mortality is
during development analogous to that shewn by the human species, and the
low mortality in the equine species is due to eugenic measures taken in the
breeding and rearing of the domestic horse : or the mortality is during develop
ment analogous to, and perhaps less than, that shewn! by the domestic horse,
and the high mortality during development amongst the species of higher
animals is a sad prerogative of the human race.
In the first hypothesis the utility of Eugenics would be demonstrated and
the Eugenist could already think of using for the improvement of the human
race those practices which are now in vogue amongst horse-breeders; in the
second hypothesis it would remain to be decided before everything else
