Sex in the Marriage Relation - The Husband

are healthy, however, there seems to be no special liability to mental

incompetency, though such marriages are accused of producing defective

or idiot children. Men suffering from congenital defects should not

marry. Natural blindness, deafness, muteness, and congenital

deformities of limb are more or less likely to be passed on to their

children. There are cases of natural blindness, though, to which this

rule does not apply. Criminals, alcoholics, and persons

disproportionate in size should not marry. In the last-mentioned, lack

of mutual physical adaptability may produce much unhappiness,

especially on the part of the wife. Serious local disease, sterility,

and great risk in childbirth may result. Disparity of years, disparity

of race, a poverty which will not permit the proper raising of

children, undesirable moral character are all good reasons for not

marrying.

 

 

                  MEDICAL EXAMINATION BEFORE MARRIAGE

 

Medical examination as a preliminary to marriage is practically more

valuable than a marriage license. Since many entirely innocent young

girls to-day suffer from disease, incurred either through hereditary

or accidental infection, a would-be husband may be said to be quite as

much entitled to protection as his bride-to-be. Prohibitive physical

defects are also discovered in this connection.