Sterilization for human betterment : a summary of results of 6,000 operations in California, 1909-1929 / by E.S. Gosney ... and Paul Popenoe.

  • Gosney, E. S. (Ezra Seymour), 1855-1942.
Date:
1929
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)

Credit: Sterilization for human betterment : a summary of results of 6,000 operations in California, 1909-1929 / by E.S. Gosney ... and Paul Popenoe. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    18/232 (page XIV)
    INTRODUCTION places of this country and Europe, and shows the expertness of the work. In all of the sterilizations of the state institu¬ tions of California, there have been only four deaths, two of which resulted from, the anesthetic and two from infection. One of these, a feeble¬ minded girl, tore the dressings off from the wound and doubtless infected herself. ATTITUDE OF PATIENTS AND THEIR RELATIVES Consent of the nearest relatives is always ob¬ tained when practicable, and this consent to the sterilization becomes more easy to obtain from year to year as the effects and results are better understood. Of the insane patients sterilized, six out of every seven replying to inquiries were satisfied with the operation. One out of every seven ex¬ pressed dissatisfaction, but their complaints were not of a serious nature. Most of the dis¬ senters felt that sterilization would be a good thing for the defective or mentally diseased, but that it did not apply to their cases—such com¬ plaints only as one would expect from a mentally unbalanced person. No serious dissatisfaction was found among relatives. Social workers of the state seemed to be virtually unanimous in their commendation of the results. [xiv]