atest energy and success.

I repeat here that it is not our object to create a new human race of
superior beings, but simply to cause gradual elimination of the unfit,
by suppressing the causes of blastophthoria, and sterilizing those who
have hereditary taints by means of a voluntary act; at the same time
urging healthier, happier and more social men to multiply more and
more.

A profound study of blastophthoria and all the phenomena of the mneme
and normal heredity leaves no doubt on the possibility of attaining
this object. Is not the quality of dogs improved by breeding from the
good and eliminating the bad? Are not certain families distinguished
in their character, work and intelligence, because for many
generations their ancestors have preserved these qualities and
maintained the family type by means of careful marriages? On the other
hand, are not cowardice, falseness and meanness, etc., reproduced with
quite as much certainty in other families? I refer the reader to the
description given by Joerger of the disastrous effects of alcoholic
blastophthoria and bad heredity produced during nearly two centuries
in the numerous members of a family of vagabonds (vide Chapter XI).

One must be blinded by religious prejudice to deny such striking
truths. No doubt, our pathological degenerations and our
cross-breeding are so infinitely complex that at any time atavism may
produce ecphoria of better children derived from bad parents, and that
of inferior children derived from better parents. We have seen in the
first chapter the complex relations which exist between these
phenomena. We must not allow ourselves to be deceived by the
appearances of certain particular cases.

What then are the types of men which we should endeavor to produce?

=Types to Eliminate.=--First of all we must understand that negative
action is much easier than positive. It is more easy to mention the
types which should not be allowed to multiply than those which should.
These are, in the first place, all criminals, lunatics, and imbeciles,
and all individuals who are irresponsible, mischievous, quarrelsome or
amoral. These are the persons who do the most harm in society, and
introduce into it the most harmful taints. It is the same with
alcoholics, opium-eaters, etc., who, although often capable in other
respects, are dangerous by their blastophthoric influence. Here the
only remedy consists in the suppression of the use of narcotics, for
it is