Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 11.djvu/567

 BIOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS OF SOCIOLOGY 551

the language, but not the methods of thought of the ancients, are inculcated is also cram. But perhaps the least excusable form of cramming, since it is perpetrated by men who should know better, is that utter neglect of the reasoning faculty, combined with an enormous overloading of the memory, by means of which the thinking powers of scientific students are destroyed.

So vast might be the benefit to mind which would quickly follow a mere improvement of education that, until we have done all that it is possible in this direction, any attempt to exalt the innate mental qualities of the race by the slower process of selective breeding would be lost time. As we have seen, such an attempt, owing to our present lack of means to distinguish in practice between inborn capacity and acquired ability, would present peculiar difficulties. In one particular, however, the selective breding of mind is imperative. The number of the insane is very rapidly increasing in all civilized countries. Vari- ous explanations have been offered. It is said that the stress of modern life is the cause of the increase. But there is no evidence that the stress is greater than formerly, except perhaps among that small class which is wealthy enough to devote itself to pleasure. The falling death-rate would seem to indicate the contrary. Moreover, the rise of insanity is as great in remote country dis- tricts, where conditions have changed little for example, in the west of Ireland as in towns. Again, it is said that the rise is due to parental intemperance and consumption. But consump- tion and, probably, chronic alcoholism are much less than for- merly. Moreover, this theory is opposed to the doctrine of natural selection. Were it true, life would be impossible on earth. Yet again, it is thought that improved medical treatment has caused insane people to live longer, and so to accumulate, and that the registration of the insane is more efficient than formerly. No doubt this theory contains a large element of truth. But the rise of insanity is so great and continuous that it is manifestly insuffi- cient to explain the whole facts. We must seek for an additional factor. Formerly the insane were treated with the greatest bar- barity.