The Eugenic Marriage, Volume 4 (of 4) A Personal Guide to the New Science of Better Living and Better Babies

About this book

The Eugenic Marriage is a four‑volume medical handbook that frames child‑rearing as a scientific project. The opening pages present a photograph of nine “sound, healthy” children and argue that natural selection has already produced a superior stock, while the author, W. Grant Hague, M.D., a Columbia‑trained physician and member of the American Medical Association, promises that a deliberate eugenic approach will eliminate the “unsound” traits illustrated elsewhere in the volume. The book then launches into an exhaustive catalogue of pediatric ailments, from nasal catarrh to dysentery, each entry offering detailed symptom lists, preventive measures, and step‑by‑step treatments that reflect early‑twentieth‑century medical practice.

Written in a didactic, authoritative tone typical of 1910s health manuals, the text combines dense anatomical terminology with practical household advice, often prescribing specific clothing, bedding, and hygiene routines. Readers with an interest in the history of medicine, social‑policy scholars examining the eugenics movement, or collectors of period health literature will find the work a revealing snapshot of its era’s blend of scientific optimism and moralistic guidance.