The philosophy of marriage : in its social, moral, and physical relations; with an account of the diseases of the genito-urinary organs ... with the physiology of generation in the vegetable and animal kingdoms; being part of a course of obstetric lectures delivered at the North London School of Medicine / by Michael Ryan.

  • Ryan, Michael, 1800-1840.
Date:
1839
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The philosophy of marriage : in its social, moral, and physical relations; with an account of the diseases of the genito-urinary organs ... with the physiology of generation in the vegetable and animal kingdoms; being part of a course of obstetric lectures delivered at the North London School of Medicine / by Michael Ryan. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    1839) framing new marriage and poor law acts for the improvement of population and morals; and in the opinion of some statesmen, for the prevention of a superabundant population—an evil much dreaded by a few short-sighted poUtical economists, but without the sUghtest foundation. It must he admitted that the number of a family, and the extent of a population, are subjects of deep interest to a preponderating majority of society, and deserve the most attentive consideration and reflection from all classes of the community. The increase of family without the means of subsistence is a fertile source of anxiety and pauperism, and deters all thinking persons from entering into imprudent alliances. But it remains to be proved, whether there is a superabundant population in any civiUzed country at present; and whether the productions of the animal and vegetable kingdoms are insufficient for the aliment of man- kind in general. In support of the opposite conclusion it is only necessary to remember, that notwithstanding the immense power of reproduction possessed by the animal and vegetable kingdoms, we do not find, after the lapse of nearly six thousand years since their creation,, either the terrestrial or celestial spheres insufficient to contain their inhabitants, nor has the incalculably large reproduction of fishes as yet filled up the ocean, nor is there at this day, a civiHzed population in any country on the face of the globe, without the means of subsistence.. This conclusion is totally opposed to the erroneous hypo- thesis of a benevolent and pliilanthropic poUtical economist, the late Rev. Mr. Malthus— that population unrestrained will advance beyond the means of subsistence— that population in most countries at tlae present period presses