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population which were, perhaps temporarily, desirable. Mercier^[1] said, "As an historical fact, there has never been any nation, people, or language, however little removed from barbarism, or even savagery, in which infanticide, the practice of abortion, or the limitation of conception, has not prevailed extensively. The three practices are complementary to one another, and where any of them is effectually forbidden, one or other of the remaining two will become efficient. Of these three modes, the prevention of conception is the most innocuous, and however we may deprecate its prevalence in excess, it is chimerical to suppose it will ever be abolished, nor is it desirable that it should be."

Hitherto no population has intelligently controlled the conception of its units in such a way as to meet its real needs. But for long past thoughtful individuals have controlled their own families. They have done so by various means, presumably the best available to their limited knowledge. The demand that knowledge of contraception shall be extended both in its range and application is now so great that medical