er duty than that of a doctor toward his patient--my
duty toward society, which I shall fulfill, and so prevent an innocent
person from becoming your victim."

This is my view of the duty of a conscientious doctor who upholds the
dignity of his profession. An analogous case came under my
observation: A young tuberculous subject affected with several "white
swellings" wished to marry. He refused to listen when I declared that
he would be guilty of a crime toward his _fiancee_. Thereupon I told
him that I should tell everything to the young girl. I did this at
once and so prevented the marriage. This egoist succeeded later on in
capturing the heart of another young girl, whom I also warned, but who
married him out of pity. At any rate I consider that I did my duty.

In my opinion, this is also our duty in cases of chronic gonorrhea,
insanity, and hereditary or constitutional sexual perversions, etc.
Formerly, when sexual inversion was regarded as an acquired vice, it
was attempted to cure it by marriage. Such a social monstrosity is
even seen at the present day, and certain ignorant doctors recommend
it. We sometimes meet with inverts who desire to procreate homosexual
beings like themselves. As sexual intercourse with the objects of
their perverted passion cannot give them this pleasure, they marry in
order to procreate children by some poor woman whom they have
victimized, without in the least renouncing their homosexual orgies.
Their wives play the part of housekeeper or servant, whose accessory
function is to breed young inverts! Is it necessary to say that any
self-respecting doctor who is aware of this state of affairs should
never countenance such marriages? Here again, his duty is to threaten
the invert with immediate denunciation to his _fiancee_, when he
appears determined to accomplish his crime.

Again, the doctor may be consulted with regard to certain hereditary
taints, or possibly only a bad ancestral history, and whether marriage
is advisable under the circumstances. In some cases there may be some
doubt and it is necessary to know the opinion of the other party
concerned, and whether this party is also affected in a similar way,
etc. The first duty of the doctor is to demand absolute frankness and
to say, "under this or that condition and in such and such
circumstances, you may perhaps marry, but under no pretext have you
the right to conceal the truth from your betrothed. It is to your own
interest to