Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 39, Number 100, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 August 1907 — Survival of the Unfit. [ARTICLE]

Survival of the Unfit.

The average baby born to-day has a chance of reaching’s years of age better by 50 cent than would have been the case half a century ago, writes Dr. John V. Shoemaker in The Reader. Its prospect of escaping the diseases of childhood and growing up. is vastly improved, as compared with earlier days.' Now, it is very desirable to save the babies, and one of thegreatest triuthplis of our. newer civilization Is. the successful rearing of three human infantSfOTPverw two~t frat -survived half a century ago. But it is undeniable that the race as a whole suffers by the change, inasmuch as the weaklings, instead of being weeded out. are thus enabled to grow up. These weaklings, by reason of their inferior vigor of constitution, commonly fail to reach old age. In (Ids fact, doubtless, is found one cause of the rise in the death rate in fater life. 2