6Exhibit C 17—21.
of the entire material he deals with. It is shown for instance that
with the mentally sound, 15% of the tainted relatives were mentally
diseased against 45.9% with the mentally diseased. Figure C 17
shows the share of this percentage among the parents only. It is
demonstrated that with the mentally diseased a much larger per
centage of the total hereditary taint is traceable to parental madness,
alcoholism, abnormality of character, than with the mentally sound.
Figure C 18 corresponds with figure C 17, except that not only the
parents are reckoned but the nearest defective relative in any degree.
Figure C 19 teaches that the leckoning of all the taints in the ancestry
taken together with the collaterals fails to give as clear and con
vincing a picture of the dissimilarity in the heredity of mentally
sound and diseased, as the reckoning of the taints among the parents
alone. The establishment of the hereditary taint in the direct
ancestry appears therefore by far the more important.
In Figure 144 (Journal f. Psychologie und Neurologie. XIII.
Bd.) Drf. Hans W. Mayer gives a number of examples of heredity
among moral imbeciles, and he draws the following conclusions :
“ Consequently moral defect in frequent combination with alcoholism
is hereditary in the highest degree. Remedy : Incarceration of these
dangerous individuals, not according to the accidental form of the
crime committed, but as diseased and forming a public danger. If
there is a risk of escape or if liberty is conceded—undoubtedly
sterilisation to prevent perpetuation of the defect.” This latter
course is already followed in North America, and a start has been
made with it in Switzerland, at least in cases where the consent of
the patients is obtained.
The pedigree of the family of Zero von Jorger, figure C 21
(Archiv für Rassen & Gesellschafts biologie I.), shows in a con
vincing manner how very important for the protection of society is
the prevention of the reproduction of the degenerate. In the course
of time this family has burdened the sound and fit with taxation
amounting to hundreds of thousands of pounds. The author remarks :
“ The family Zero springs from good peasant stock intermarrying
w'ith homeless female tramps. Its history shows how alcohol
(especially spirits) and bad environment (in this case always
combined) may create a scourge to society which continues from
generation to generation. The family has produced many criminals,
lunatics and feeble-minded persons. The offspring of these are destined
to die out. Their great fertility at times is counteracted by great infant mortality.”
