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During the period from 1909 to 1929 some 6,000 operations for sterilization were performed in the state of California, and in this publication the authors have presented the results obtained by a study of the records of numerous cases. The United States Supreme Court has in the past few years sustained the legality of eugenic sterility of hereditary defectives, and since certain laws were passed not only are “all feebleminded patients now sterilized before they are allowed to leave the state home at Sonoma,” but “one in twelve of all the insane admitted to the state hospitals” and “one in five or six of the new admissions is now sterilized.” The authors have studied the subject from a great many angles, including the history of sterilization, the effect on the sexual life, the psychological effect, from the personal, social and eugenic reasons, and the effect on the patient's general behavior.
They attempt to meet all arguments against the cause of sterilization; for example, it has been said by the opponents that sterilization may perhaps prevent the birth of some genius. After marshalling their facts the authors conclude, “In short, sterilization of the mentally diseased as it is now being practiced in California, will prevent the birth of