Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - Part I - Professor Ossian Schauman, Helsingfors, Eugenic Work in Swedish Finland
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at this time there did not exist in Finland, any other society of which the sta»
tutes guaranteed the future use of her donation for Swedish cultural work, she
offered the aforesaid sum to the Literary Society. The Society received the do»
nation and, on the proposal of a committee, specially appointed for the purpose,
they decided that the interest should be used for comprehensive scientific exami=
nation of the mental and physical health of the Swedish population in Finland
and of all circumstances, which might exercise influence on it. It was parti*
cularly pointed out that the significance of heredity for the health of the people
should be made a special object of research.
The Literary Society entrusted this research to a special committee, consisting
of eight persons and called »The Florin Commission» (Florinska Kommissionen).
Though the economic resources at the disposal of the commission were small,
the work was immediately begun. Through bursars, nominated for the purpose,
the population in three parishes of Swedish Finland were examined in conformity
with forms drawn up by the commission. About 23,000 persons underwent an
examination, chiefly with the view to stating the occurrence of nervous and mental
diseases as well as tuberculosis; at the same time the anthropological circum»
stances were studied as well as the housing and nourishing questions. As yet only
the results of such examinations as had to do with the nourishing of the people
have been published,* but other results will of course be brought to the know»
ledge of the public in due time.
The Great War which, owing to Finland being politically united to Russia,
also afifected Finland, checked the work of the Florin Commission. During the
time of war the only possible work was the compiling of material for a statistical
research about the frequency of marriage, nativity and mortality and also of some
other statistical primary facts in connection with the Swedish population of Fin»
land. The work, conducted by the able statistician of the Commission, Professor
E. Lindelöf, will soon be concluded and is sure to form a correct basis for
future examinations and measures.
When Finland had separated from Russia and became an independent state,
the work of the Commission got a fresh impetus. In different quarters people’s
eyes had been opened to the necessity of purely practical measures for the ameli»
oration of the health of the population in Swedish Finland and for this purpose
a number of donations in money were placed at the disposal of the Commission.
The interest on one of these funds of Fmk. 200,000: — the Commission de»
cided to use for awarding prizes to mothers. The conditions, according to which
a mother has a chance of being awarded a prize, are, that she and her husband
must belong to healthy families, be in good health themselves and possess at
least four strong healthy and well nurtured children of the age of four to four»
teen years. The prizes either consist in a diploma, or a diploma and a sum of
money, hitherto stipulated to amount to Fmk. 500: —. The first awarding of prizes
took place last year and aroused greater interest than could be expected.
The income from another donation amounting to Fmk. 750,000: — is to be
used to afford general eugenic information.
* Carl Tigerstedt, Ueber die Nahrungszufuhr des Mcnschen in ihrer Abhängigkeit von Alter, Geschlecht und Beruf.
Helsingfors 1915. 232 p.
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