42Section IY.H. E. Jordan.
THE PLACE OF EUGENICS IN THE MEDICAL CURRICULUM.
(Abstract.)
By H. E. Jordan,
Chairman of the Eugenics Section of the American Association for the
Study and Prevention of Infant Mortality.
The Science of Eugenics deserves a place in the medical curriculum for
three reasons. Firstly : Medicine is fast becoming a science of the pre
vention of weakness and morbidity; their permanent not temporary cure,
their racial eradiction rather than their personal palliation. Eugenic con
duct is undeniably a factor in attaining the speedy achievement of the end
of racial health. Eugenics, embracing genetics, is thus one of the impor
tant disciplines among the future medical sciences. The coming physician
must have adequate training in matters relating to heredity and Eugenics.
Secondly : as the general population becomes better educated in matters of
personal and racial health and hygiene it will more and more demand
advice regarding the prevention of weakness in themselves and their off
spring. The physicians are logically the men who must give it. Thirdly :
physicians will be more efficient public servants if they approach their work
with the Eugenic outlook on life.
Instruction in Eugenics, in the form of a number of special lectures on
the subject, is already given in some of our medical schools. This indicates
at least that the need is felt and the importance of such knowledge to the
best physician recognised. Since not all of the better medical schools give
such courses, however, we may infer that there are obstacles in the way.
What is the nature of these?
One such may be the lack of adequate preparation on the part of the
students in the fundamentals of biology to properly comprehend the import
and application of Eugenic facts. This obstacle is speedily being removed;
for considerable biological training is already a medical course prerequisite.
But there may be a lack of properly prepared teachers to present this
subject to even properly prepared medical students. This obstacle is also
fast disappearing. Once the demand for this kind of help is voiced,
there will appear properly trained teachers to instruct physicians.
Another obstacle may be raised by short-sighted and self-seeking
physicians, for whom less illness and weakness may mean less work and a
reduced income. But this is, perhaps, only a relatively very small factor
in, and also only a passing phase of, the opposition, and will soon correct
itself. The most encouraging prospect for this new scheme of activity is the
deep interest shown by young medical students in matters of heredity and Eugenics.
