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of the Eugenic Board, in any institution under the control of the Board. If the report is negative the prisoner should be punished according to the law. Sterilization.—l am not convinced that any benefit is likely to be derived from surgical measures in these cases. Certain very eminent Continental alienists are strongly in favour of castration for cases of exhibitionism, notably Professor Aschaffenberg, of Cologne, with whom I had a discussion on the subject. He has had much experience, and he is impressed with the general calmative influence of the operation, quite apart from the loss of procreative function. The proved facts are — (1) The lesser operation—vasectomy —does not lessen desire or potency —it merely prevents procreation. (2) The major operation —castration —does not generally diminish desire for several years. (3) Although castration does ultimately destroy normal desire and potency, it does not do away with the mental images of sex connection, and this tends to produce perversion and consequent danger to children. (4) In some cases it appears to have a general calmative influence and probably some degree of mental enfeeblement. I am not prepared to recommend operation in these cases — certainly not as a precursor to discharge from an institution —as I believe this would give rise to a false feeling of security. Segregation.—The type of institution suitable for housing and caring for psychopathic or perverted sexual offenders requires more consideration than is usually devoted to this subject. Certain cases — particularly those with a definite surgical condition, e.g., enlarged prostate gland — can be most properly treated in a mental hospital, or in single care during a period of observation following upon their operation. Many such cases may be expected to give no further trouble. The suggestion is often made that farm colonies would be suitable for sexual perverts ; but the matter is not so simple of solution as it would appear on the surface. Only those who have had much experience with such cases can appreciate the constant supervision which is necessary to prevent the continuance of the depraved habits, and for most of these cases very little latitude can be allowed. I would suggest that the prison at New Plymouth which is at present devoted to the care of sex perverts should also come under the care of the Eugenics Board, who would develop it in the light of their increasing experience. Social Service Work and After-care. I have already pointed out in this report that there is no panacea for social inadequacy in any of its numerous and varied manifestations, and that each case requires investigation and readjustment so as to promote harmonious relationship between the individual and his environment. I have deprecated the tendency to " pigeonhole " cases and treat them in any inelastic routine fashion, and I have advocated the adoption of a comprehensive scheme wherein cognizance will be taken not only of those who are definitely feeble-minded, but also of the large ill-defined border-line class which may fittingly be the subject of care and investigation by a Board whose function will be the betterment of the race. It is, of course, obvious that no one of the lines of treatment suggested in this report will by itself appreciably diminish the incidence of mental enfeeblement or delinquency, and each must be regarded as complementary to the others. To train and educate these people and simply return them to the environment which has largely contributed to their need for State protection would be an economic wastage ; to retain in institutions indefinitely those who can be largely self-supporting in the community would be unjust, undesirable, and expensive ; while the indiscriminate liberation of sterilized female and male defectives solely on the grounds that they had been so dealt with would be disastrous. To overcome the limitations to which all of the proposals are subject it will be necessary to establish a thoroughly organized system of social-service work. In America and in some .countries of Europe social-service work has attained the status of a paid profession, and in the United States candidates have to qualify by prescribed courses of study and examination before appointment to a field post. I am satisfied that voluntary effort is not sufficient for this work, which is one of the most important parts of the whole scheme. The best of intentions is no substitute for knowledge, and, indeed, untutored enthusiasm may create a wrong atmosphere and lead to difficulties. On the other hand, I attended some classes in New York and elsewhere where aspirants for social-service work were receiving lectures and tuition, and I came to the conclusion that we should steadfastly avoid the false intellectualism which was being inculcated there, involving as it does the complete suppression of those very qualities which render women peculiarly suitable for this type of service. I append a pamphlet setting forth the qualifications deemed necessary for this work in the United States, but I would prefer to set our own standards in this matter. The duties of the social-service worker can hardly be sharply defined, but they would include the following : — (1) She would maintain an intimate personal contact with the parents of the children, visit their homes, and study their conditions, with a view to considering whether the child after training could safely return there : (2) She would keep a list of all available foster-parents : (3) She would try to secure suitable employment for such of the children as were on the eve of being paroled from institutions, and would see that they were fairly treated by employers : (4) She would visit all feeble-minded people who were residing with foster-parents or at home, and would report to the local clinic any who were giving anxiety on account of mental sysmptoms, sexual precocity, or other anti-social tendencies.

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