Race culture, or, Race suicide ? : (a plea for the unborn) / by Robert Reid Rentoul.

  • Rentoul, Robert, 1939-
Date:
1906
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Race culture, or, Race suicide ? : (a plea for the unborn) / by Robert Reid Rentoul. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    184/204 page 166
    carried into effect yet, though it is abundantly clear that nothing will have any permanent effect in the desired direction but a measure (whatever it may be) which will render the reproduction of their species by the insane a physical impossibility.” (See Annual Report.) Dr. W. Bevan Lewis, of the West Riding Asylum, Wakefield, Yorkshire, writes:— “Dear Dr. Rentoul,—I am with you wholly with respect to your proposal; nothing short of such radical means can stem the tide of increasing degeneracy. The public conscience sadly wants awakening to the immeasur- able mischief accruing from existing conditions with regard to the insane, the epileptic, the feeble-minded, imbecile, and idiot community. Notwithstanding this, I am confronted with many practical difficulties which appear to me to stand in the way of legislative reform. The prohibition of marriage alone seems a puerile measure, and would be quite fruitless of good results. Even now, should the operation you propose be adopted, I fear that it would be largely avoided, and that the upper classes would escape at the expense of the lower. It would be very hurtful if any class immunity should be thus estab- lished, for the procedure should have equal incidence upon all alike. Again, if marriage sought is to be the condition upon which the Committee of Inquiry acts, I fear there would still be much illicit sexual intercourse which the measure would fail to reach. No doubt the whole pro- cedure would have to be very elaborately considered, but you see that in spirit, at least, I am quite with you. If you mean to restrict the operation simply to the certified class already officially recognized, of course there could be no difficulties in the way, and much good would accrue by thus excluding the large number of discharges from our asylums from the possibility of begetting their kind. It is a misuse of words to oppose your procedure on the ground of its interfering with the liberty of the subject; it is not consistent liberty, but licence that we are attacking. “With kind regards, believe me, “ Yours faithfully, “ W. Bevan Lewis. “ November 20th, 1905.”
    digitised image 1
    digitised image 2
    digitised image 3