Aristotle declared (Politics Book II, p. 40) that “neglect of this subject is a never failing cause of poverty, and poverty is the parent of revolution and crime,” and he advocated habitual abortion as one remedy against over-population.  The combined wisdom of the Greeks found no better method of keeping population well within the limits of the State’s power to support its members than abortion, and the exposure of infants.

Since Aristotle’s time abortion has been largely practised by civilized nations.  Mutilation and infibulation of females have been practised by savages with the same end in view, while vasectomy, orchotomy, and ovariotomy, have had their avowed advocates in our own time.

The purpose of all these measures was to limit population with little or no distinction as to fitness to survive.  The Spartans in ancient times, and many social reformers of to-day have discussed and advocated the artificial limitation of the unfit.  The exposure of defective infants was the Spartan method of preserving the physical and mental stature of the race.

The surgical operations on both sexes advocated by some social writers of recent date, have not been received with much favour, and, as a social reform have not been practised.  As operations they are grave and serious, profound in their effect upon the individual, and a violation of public sentiment.  Anaesthetics and antiseptics have, however, made them possible, and if a surgical operation could be devised, simple and safe in performance, inert in every way but one, and against which there would be no individual or public sentiment, its application as a social reform, would go far to solve the grave and serious problem of the fertility of the unfit.

The unfit are subject to no moral law in the matter of procreation.  They can be taught nothing, and they will practise nothing.  Like the lower animals they obey their instincts and gratify their desires as they arise.

It has been seriously suggested that the poor should be systematically taught Neo-Malthusian methods for the limitation of their offspring.

The best among the poor might practise them, the worst certainly would not, and the limitation among the best would only stimulate the fertility of the worst.  This is the most innocent and harmless of the numerous suggestions made by reformers for controlling the fecundity of the poor.

Of surgical methods, castration of males, Oophorectomy or the removal of the ovaries in women, and vasectomy, or the section of the cords of the testicles, have all been suggested.

Annual castration of a certain number of the children of the popular classes was not long ago seriously proposed by Weinhold.