Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 10.djvu/16

 4 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY

have been tamed, very few indeed are fertile when their libert restricted and their struggles for livelihood are abolished; those which are so, and are otherwise useful to man, becoming domesti- cated. There is perhaps some connection between this obscure n an>l the disappearance of most savage races when brought into contact with high civilization, though there are other and well-known concomitant causes. But while most barbarous races

ppear, some, like the negro, do n..t. It may therefore be

ctcd that types of our race will be found to exist which can be highly civilized without losing fertility; nay. they may become more fertile under artificial conditions, as is the case with many domestic animals.

3. Systematic collection of facts showing the circumstances under which large and thriving families have most frequently originated ; in other words, the conditions of eugenics. The definition of a thriving family, that will pass muster for the moment at least, is one in which the children have gained dis- tinctly superior positions to those who were their classmates in early life. Families may be considered " larj^e " that contain not less than three adult male children. It would be no great burden to a society including many members who had eugenics at heart, to initiate and to preserve a large collection of such records for the use of statistical students. The committee charged with the task would have to consider very carefully the form of their circular and the persons intrusted to distribute it. They should

only for as much useful information as could be easily, and would be readily, supplied by any member of the family appealed to. The point to be ascertained is the status of the two parents at the time of their marriage, whence its more or less eugenic character might have been predicted, if the larger knowledge that

now hope to obtain had then existed. Some account would be wanted of their race, profession, and residence; also of their own respective parentages, and of their brothers and sisters. Finally the reason* would be required why the children deserved to be entitled a "thriving" family. This manuscript collection might hereafter develop into a "golden book" of thriving fami- lies. The Chinese, whose custon ftcn much sound sense,