24 Eugenics Blood Always Tells These instances could be multiplied indefinitely. They etch their way through history. From family to clan; from clan to tribe; from tribe to a homogeneous people; from people to nation - all have their origin in this marvelous factor - blood plus environment. This is what makes the difference between a Chinaman and a Scandinavian, a Patagonian and a Central African pigmy, a German and an Eskimo. From dogs to kings - from mice to elephants - blood always tells. People of fine, clean blood, living in hygienic surroundings, properly nourished, will rear fine, healthy, properly nourished children. People of degenerated or deteriorated blood, living in unwholesome, unsanitary surroundings, will produce scrub children, defective children, degenerated children. Or in many instances, thanks be to Nature, no children at all - as they may often be rendered sterile by their deterioration. What has been done for draught-horses, cattle, poultry, fruit and vegetables can be done for human beings, if we were only to follow the same principles of selection which the horse breeder, the cattle breeder and poultry fancier, horticulturist or scientific farmer pursues. This means preventing those who are physically and mentally unfit from bringing progeny into the world, and encouraging those who are of good stock to propagate their breed. Marriage Should Not Be Too Early or Too Close One phase of this subject which has received general recognition is the fact that marriage at too youthful an age or too advanced an age is not likely to be attended with the best results, so far as children are concerned. It is even generally conceded that the extremely youthful mother runs a very grave danger in bringing a child into the world. For her contracted, undeveloped pelvis, and her immature body, greatly increase her chances of a serious parturition, or even death itself. It is also generally conceded that too close inter-breeding is likely to be accompanied by disastrous results, appearing in the form