Chapter XVII: The Killing of Parents, Sick Persons, Children-Feticide

Parricide the most aggravated form of murder, pp. 383-386.--The custom of abandoning or killing parents who are worn out with age or disease, p. 386 _sq._--Its causes, pp. 387-390.--The custom of abandoning or killing persons suffering from some illness, p. 391 _sq._--Its causes, p. 392 _sq._--The father's power of life and death over his children, p. 393 _sq._--Infanticide among many savage races permitted or even enjoined by custom, pp. 394-398.--The causes of infanticide, and how it has grown into a regular custom, pp. 398-402.--Among many savages infanticide said to be unheard of or almost so, p. 402 _sq._--The custom of infanticide not a survival of earliest savagery, but seems to have grown up under specific conditions in later stages of development, p. 403.--Savages who disapprove of infanticide, p. 403 _sq._--The custom of infanticide in most cases requires that the child should be killed immediately or soon after its birth, p. 404 _sq._--Infanticide among semi-civilised or civilised races, pp. 405-411.--The practice of exposing new-born infants vehemently denounced by the early Fathers of the Church, p. 411.--Christian horror of infanticide, p. 411 _sq._--The punishment of infanticide in Christian countries, p. 412 _sq._--Feticide among savages, p. 413 _sq._--Among more civilised nations, p. 414 _sq._--According to Christian views, a form of murder, p. 415 _sq._--Distinctions between an _embryo informatus_ and an _embryo formatus_, p. 416 _sq._--Modern legislation and opinion concerning feticide, p. 417.