itzerland, followed up in a similar fashion the history of a family
of vagrants. The full report may be found under the title of "The Zero
Family," in the _Archiv fuer Gesellschaft's-u. Rassenbiologie_, 1905,
Heft 4, page 494 et seq. It is sad to read of the untold misery,
profligacy, and distress spread broadcast by this family, not to speak
of the many crimes committed by its members.

It is depressing to witness how sheer ignorance and callousness to the
interests of the human race at large allow such people to multiply
without let or hindrance. The unfortunate part about it all is that
this species of humanity is on the steady increase. They really form
the principal hearths whence emanate our criminal classes, that fill
our jails, our Charity Homes, our Hospitals, our Sanatoria, our Insane
Asylums. They breed and multiply not because it affords them a special
pleasure to procreate crime, insanity, and degeneracy, but because no
one takes the trouble to instruct them in the perniciousness of
bringing into this world offspring that can only find and themselves
again disseminate misery, want, and wretchedness; or to teach them how
to prevent this calamity.

(3) Still another category of dangerous elements is becoming more
numerous every day. I refer to the _neurasthenics_. Heredity is an
important factor here, too, as every neurologist is able to attest
from his own daily observations. The worst feature about this peril is
the fact that neurotics as a rule suffer from excess of sexual
appetite, whilst they are sorely lacking the power of self-control,
circumstances which often enough lead to crime, insanity, and suicide.
Untold thousands of them, unaware of the fearful consequences of
hereditary impairment, go on bringing into this world children
destined to unhappiness and suffering. It is noteworthy too that these
nervous wrecks generally intermarry. Does not this account to a large
extent for the great number of unhappy marriages recorded nowadays?

Of course, it is quite evident that under such pitiable conditions,
the hereditary taints become increasingly aggravated. If the patients
have money, which is very often the case, they prove profitable
customers of the "nerve-specialist," and likewise of the endless chain
of private sanatoria for nervous diseases. It is a sad spectacle
indeed. My own experience has taught me that nine out of ten of these
unfortunate beings have families, because they are ignorant of t