Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - Part I - Professor J. Vilhelm Hultkrantz, Uppsala and Doctor Emanuel Bergman, Uppsala, The Struggle for Race-improvement in Sweden
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that he is suffering from the disease in question. In certain cases it is enacted
that the occurence of these maladies, as well as the misuse of intoxicating means,
may be taken as grounds for invalidating the marriage or for divorce. It is en*
acted that the minimum age for entering into the marriage State shall be 21 years
for the man and 18 years for the woman. Marriage between a person and one
of his brother’s or sister’s children is not allowed without a special dispensation.
Although it had been desirable that the law in several points had been more
rigorous one must feel glad over it, because it implies a tangible advance from
the eugenic point of view. The most important innovation in our new marriage
law, are the regulations respecting sexual disease in an infectious stage, as an
impediment to marriage.
The reproduction of eugenically undesirable individuals can be hindered
not only by prohibiting marriage for them, but also by means of segregation
and sterilising and these modes of proceeding are much more effective than
prohibition of marriage. It is self*evident that with us, as in other countries,
insane persons and criminals are interned. In the meanwhile the extent to which
this takes place, is much too small. The object one has in doing it is namely,
only to protect society against unpleasentness, and not to protect the coming
generations from an increase of worthless individuals. Strong voices have been
raised insisting that more vigorous measures should be taken especially regarding
habitual and sexual criminals, who should not be set free after working out their
punishment, but should be interned for life. — No regulations are found in Swedish
law which allow the sterilising of eugenically inferior individuals. The Medical
Faculty touched on this question also, but considered that regulations respecting
the sterilisation of physical and mental degenerates by means of operating, ought
not to be introduced before public opinion has been welbprepared to support
it. The question has been discussed among doctors and one or another of these
have, with the consent of the patient, sometimes performed an operation for ster*
ilisation on account of eugenic indications. Sterilisation is a necessary complement
to prohibition of marriage and it is therefore to be hoped that the general
public will be brought gradually, by means of continued efforts for their enlight*
enment to a right understanding of this weighty question.
Immigration to Sweden implies not so seldom a danger for the future of the
Swedish race and above all because especially during the latest years an invasion
has been taking place from the East, where the human material, in respect to the
mental and physical qualities of race, can hardly match itself against the. ancient
Swedish population. During the great war, asylum has been granted to a large
extent and for a longer time to unlucky fugitives, permission for their naturalisation
has fortunately been granted with great carefulness. Voices have been raised
asking for more severe regulations in respect to immigration. The number of
immigrants according to official statements the year before the great war broke
out was 8,407, but it was and still is in reality appreciably larger.
The drain which emigration ever since the middle of the last century has
been for our nation, has certainly acted in a weakening way on its vital power.
Out of Sweden’s population, which is near to 6 millions, twenty to thirty thous*
ands emigrate yearly. During the years between 1851 and 1910 about 1 ’A million
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