r in the family.

Cancer is not a hereditary disease, contrary to the opinions that have
prevailed, and, if the matrimonial candidate otherwise is healthy, no
hesitation need be felt on the score of heredity. The fear of
hereditary transmission of the disease has caused a great deal of
mischief and unnecessary anxiety to people. Scientifically conducted
investigations and carefully prepared statistics have shown that many
diseases formerly considered hereditary are not hereditary in the
least degree.

Should it, however, be shown that in one family there were _many_
members who died of cancer, it would indicate that there is some
disease or dyscrasia in that family, and the contracting of a marriage
with any member of that family would be inadvisable.

=Exophthalmic Goiter= (=Basedow's Disease=)

Exophthalmic goiter is a disease characterised by enlargement of the
thyroid gland, protrusion of the eyeballs, and rapid beating of the
heart. The disease is confined almost entirely, though not
exclusively, to women, and I should not advise any exophthalmic woman
to marry; neither should I advise a man to marry an exophthalmic
goiter woman. It is a very annoying disease, while sexual intercourse
aggravates all the symptoms, particularly the palpitation of the
heart. The children, if not affected by exophthalmic goiter, are
liable to be very neurotic.

_Simple goiter_, that is, enlargement of the thyroid gland (chiefly
occurring in certain high mountainous localities, such as
Switzerland), is not so strongly dysgenic as is exophthalmic goiter.
Still, goiter patients are not good matrimonial risks.

Of course, there are always exceptions. I know an exophthalmic goiter
woman who brought up four children, and very good, healthy children
they are. But in writing we can only speak of the average and not of
exceptions.

=Obesity=

Obesity, or excessive stoutness, is an undue development of fat
throughout the body. That it is hereditary, that it runs in families,
there is no question whatsoever. And, while with great care as to the
diet and by proper exercise, obesity may, as a rule, be avoided in
those predisposed, it none the less often will develop in spite of all
measures taken against it. Some very obese people eat only one-half or
less of what many thin people do; but in the former, everything seems
to run to fat.

Obesity must be considered a dysgenic factor. The obese are subject to
heart disease, asthma, apo