Maternal Affection the Beginning of Human Altruism—Sympathy and Parental Love the Basis of Other Virtues—The Weakest Sacrificed in all Primitive Society—Neglected Chapters in the History of the Attitude of Society toward Children

Human Marriage—Evolution of the Parental Instinct—Social Conditions among Papuans—Child’s Place in the Tribe

The Killing of Twins—Other Excuses for Infanticide—Restricting the Family—Economic Reasons Acknowledged—Dying of Despair

The Drowning of Daughters—Early Mongolian Civilization Marked by Ancestor Worship—Severe Character x of Confucius—“Beginning” of Infanticide 200 b.c.—Reforms of the Emperor Choentche and the Manchus in the Seventeenth Century—Decrees Reducing the Cost of Wedding Gifts in Order to Stop Parents from Killing Female Children

Death by Neglect and Sacrifice in Japan—The New-Born Taboo—Myth of the Exposure of the Child of the Gods—Growth of the Marriage Custom—The Arrival of the Chinese—Modern Cannibalism—Modern Laws on the Sale of Children

Mesopotamia the Earliest Civilization Known—Faint Traces of Child-Sacrifice—Laws for Women and Children—Census Figures in Stones—Code of Hammurabi—The Story of Sargon

Most Ancient Nation was Kind to Children—Economic Pressure Brought No Special Cruelty—Picture of the Proletariat—Abjurations of the Oldest Book in the World—Egyptians as Seen by Diodorus Siculus—Degenerating Effect of Greek Supremacy

Children in India—Story of the Mahabharata—Female Child Despised—A Hundred Cows the Price of a Son—Records Left by Historians of Alexander’s Conquest—Attempts by British Government to Check Infanticide—Work of Jonathan Duncan and Col. Alexander Walker

Semitic Development in Canaan—Sacrifice of the First-Born Persists—Origin of the Idea of Sacrifice—The Custom World-wide among Primitive Peoples—Associated with Cannibalism—The Foundation Sacrifice—Discoveries in Palestine

Hebrew Writers on the Origin of the Religion of Humanity—Child Sacrifice Condemned in the Story of Isaac—Circumcision Substituted—Reversion to Barbaric Habits in Canaan—Triumph of the Prophets

Ancient Arabians Were Cannibalistic—Daughters too Expensive to Rear—Conditions before the Coming of the Prophet—The Injunctions of Mohammed—His Law as Found in “Al Hidaya”

Exposure by a Civilized People—Lack of Humanity among the Greeks—Their Mythology an Evidence—Children in Homer

Female Children not Desirable among Greeks—Precautions for Saving Exposed Children—Ornaments as a Means of Identification—Adoption under Strange Circumstances

First Recognition of Rights of Children—Laws of Romulus and of Numa Pompilius—The Twelve Tables—Attitude of Parents Shown in Terence—Patria Potestas Sparingly Used

Humanitarian Measures of Augustus—Life in the Imperial City—First Attempts of the State to Check Infanticide—Trajan and the Veleia Loan—Stoic Spirit in Pliny’s Charity

Reforms of Hadrian—Punishment of Fathers—Valerius Maximus—Favourite Streets in Rome for Leaving Abandoned Children—Mutilating Children for Profit

Progress under the Antonines—Faustina’s Efforts to Save Female Children—Christian Sentiment Grows—Plea of Lactantius—Its Effects—Constantine

Pleas of the Christian Fathers

Conditions among the Peoples who Conquered the Roman Empire—Irish Sacrificed First-Born—The Wergeld—The Salic Law—Code of the Visigoths on Exposed Children—Theodoric and Cassiodorus

Growth of the Humanitarian Movement throughout Europe—In the Dark Ages—Church Takes up the Humanitarian Work in the Seventh Century—Sale of Children Common—Story of Saint Bathilde—Children Sold for Father’s Debts—Datheus the First to Offer Children a Home—Appeal of Pope Innocent III.

Cruelty to Children in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Century—Attempt at Regulation—Deforming Children for Mountebank Purposes—Anecdote of xiv Vincent de Paul—His Work and His Success

Rise of Factory System—The Child a Charge on the State—Children Actually Slaves under Factory System—Reform of 1833—Oastler against the Child Slavery—“Juvenile Labour in Factories is a National Blessing”

Industrial Conditions in America—Protection for Animals—Founding of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children—Spread of the Movement throughout the World—Origin in New York City

Appendix A—Napoleonic Decree of 1811

Appendix B—Certificate of Incorporation of the New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children

Appendix C—Treatment of Children

Index