Abstracts of Papers Read at the First International Eugenics Congress University of London, July, 1912

A snapshot of scientific thought from the early twentieth‑century, this collection gathers the abstracts presented at the First International Eugenics Congress held in London in 1912. Scholars from anthropology, biology, medicine and social science offered concise reports on topics such as human variation, heredity, the influence of parental age, and the relationship between genetics and social conditions. The papers reveal how researchers of the era grappled with questions of race, stature, fertility and the nascent ideas of Mendelian inheritance, often linking biological observations to broader social policies.

The volume also turns to practical concerns, outlining proposals for education before procreation, marriage laws, and public‑health measures aimed at what the presenters called “defective germ plasm.” Later sections explore the intersections of eugenics with economics, militarism, and medical practice, presenting data on demographics, disease prevention and mental health. Listening to these abstracts offers a window into a controversial chapter of scientific history, showing both the ambitions and the limitations of early attempts to apply genetics to society.