The Case for Women’s Suffrage: By Helen B. Hanson, M.D.: Racial Decay (Continued):
Now to turn to mental deficiency – the second factor in racial decay. Here I quote Dr. Tredgold in his paper on “Heredity in relation to Mental Deficiency”: “The hereditarily tainted, the feeble-minded, the insane, the epileptic, the habitual criminals and paupers, and other degenerate creatures are allowed to propagate without let or hindrance. The vigour of the nation is being gradually undermined, its character … is falling to a lower plane, and its strength is being sapped.” Dr. Mott also states: “Hereditary predisposition is the most important factor in the production of insanity, imbecility and epilepsy … alcohol is a powerful coefficient.” In evidence given before the Royal Commission on the Feeble-minded it was stated that 10 percent of the people in prisons appeared to be mentally defective … (continues) … In one workhouse 5 feeble-minded women gave birth to 15 feeble-minded children, (3) in another 16 have brought 116 children into the world, and again, 18 mentally defective women had 93 children … (call for a higher moral standard and the vote for women) …3: Mrs. Pinsent, speaking on the Mental Deficiency Bill before the conference of the Women’s National Liberal Association: Daily Chronicle, May 28th, 1913.
Transcribed in whole or part from scanned originals: Presented with or without modified text and punctuation. For absolute accuracy refer to the original newspapers. Source: The British Newspaper Archive.
Referenced
GRO0245 Devonport: Ellen Frances Parker: 1866 – 1949