generation produce one half of the next generation. The death rate and the ratio of unmarried to married being what they are, this relation may be stated in this way—twelve per cent of all the individuals born in the last generation produced one half of the present generation. "This is not only a general law, but it is practically true for each class in the community." This conclusion is based upon data from the English, Danish, and Welsh peoples of professional, domestic, commercial, industrial, and pastoral classes, and the per cent of married persons found to be producing one half of each generation varies from twenty-three to twenty-seven with an average of twenty-five per cent. We must ask at once—what is the source of this fourth which is contributing double its quota to the next generation? Is this twenty-five per cent drawn proportionately from all classes of society or are some groups contributing relatively more than others? Is there any relation between this superfertility and the possession of desirable or undesirable characteristics? We may answer at once—there is a distinct and positive relation between civic undesirability and high fertility. We shall return to this subject at the close of the next chapter; only the bare fact is to be mentioned at this time.

It is a matter of common notice and remark that to-day, in England at any rate, there is a dearth of youthful ability. It exists in commerce, science, literature, politics, the bar, the church. We cannot dismiss as merely fashionable the statements that the able classes are not replacing themselves, that men of ability are less able than formerly. Whether or not this is also the condition in America to-day, we know that it soon will be the condition unless steps are taken to bring about a positive relation between civic desirability and ability and the numerical production of offspring.

Let us turn to data of a somewhat different kind. The United States Census Reports for the decades from 1850 to 1900 (1904) include data relative to the number of prisoners in this country. The returns for 1904 omitted certain classes previously enumerated so that for comparative purposes the figures given have to be corrected. On the corrected basis these reports show that the total number of prisoners in the United States increased from 6,737 in 1850 to about 100,000 in 1904, while the total population increased during the same time only from twenty-three to eighty millions (Fig. 2). The ratio of prisoners to the total population is of course the significant relation here, and this increased from 29 per 100,000 in 1850 to 125 per 100,000 in 1904. Not all of this increase can be attributed to more rigid enforcement of the law or raised standards of morality; there is some reason for thinking that whatever change there has been in these respects has tended to have the opposite effect. We should note, in considering such data as these, that the penologist generally assumes that of the total number of offenders, actually only about ten per cent are in prison at any one time.

During the last century, in France, many parts of Germany, and in Spain the increase in criminality was terrifying. In the United States the number of murders and homicides per million of the entire population has nearly trebled in the last fifteen years (Fig. 2). The average for the five years from 1885 to 1889 inclusive was 38.5 per million, and for the five years from 1902 to 1906 it became 110 per million.

Fig. 2.—Relative and absolute numbers of prisoners in the United States from 1850 to 1904.

England's "defective" classes during the 22 years between 1874 and 1896 increased from 5.4 to 11.6 per thousand of the total; that is, more than doubled in that brief period. Rentoul has collected careful information regarding the number of insane or mentally defective and degenerate in Great Britain. In England the number of "officially certified" insane, which is far less than the actual number, increased from one to every 319 of the total population, to one to 285, in the nine years preceding 1905. In Ireland comparison of the years 1851 and 1896—a period of 45 years intervening—shows an increase in the corresponding ratio from 1:657 to 1:178. The census of 1901 showed in Great Britain 484,507 mental defectives of all kinds; this is one to 85 of the total population, and probably if the whole truth were known the ratio would approximate 1:50, according to Rentoul's calculation. The ratio of known insane just doubled in the decade preceding 1901. The Scottish Commission reports an increase in insane of 190 per cent since 1858, the total population increasing meanwhile by only 52 per cent.

The worst side of these British statistics follows. In 1901, of the 60,000 and more, idiots, imbeciles, and feeble-minded, nearly 19,000—roughly one third—were married and free to multiply; and as for that matter a great many of those unmarried are known to have been prolific. In 1901, of the 117,000 lunatics, nearly 47,000—considerably more than one third—were married. 65,700 idiots and lunatics legally multiplying their kind and worse! Rentoul rightly says: "The hand that wrecks the cradle wrecks the nation."

In the United States the census of 1880 reported 40,942 insane in hospitals, and 51,017 not in hospitals—a total of 91,959 known insane. In 1903 the number in hospitals had increased to 150,151. The number not in hospitals was not given and cannot be determined accurately, but it is conservatively estimated as certainly not less than 30,000, and probably it is far greater than this. In many states it is known that about one fourth of the insane are not in hospitals. But taking the total of 180,000 as a conservative figure, the ratio of known insane in the total population was 225 per 100,000 in 1903 as compared with 183 per 100,000 in 1880.

The methods of the collection of such data vary in different countries so that the results are not comparable. In a single country there is less, though still some, lack of uniformity, so that the exact rate of increase in the ratio of the insane is still somewhat doubtful. Moreover, it is doubtless true that some of this apparent increase results from improved methods in the collection of data, and from more complete registration of these defectives. But suppose we disregard entirely the idea of an increase in the ratio of these defectives, the bare fact of the existence of nearly 200,000 insane in this country is sufficiently alarming; and it is disgraceful to any nation, because it is unnecessary. The Superintendent of the Ohio Institution for the Feeble Minded wrote in 1902: "Unless preventive measures against the progressive increase of the defective classes are adopted, such a calamity as the gradual eclipse, slow decay and final disintegration of our present form of society and government is not only possible, but probable."

The latest census reports for the United States give data relative to the dependents and defectives in institutions. The numbers not in institutions can only be guessed at. But from the available sources we can gain an approximate conception of the numbers in our country to-day as follows:—insane and feeble minded, at least 200,000; blind, 100,000; deaf, and deaf and dumb, 100,000; paupers in institutions, 80,000, two thirds of whom have children, and are also physically or mentally deficient, and to say that one