Abstract
IT is to be hoped that the Bastardy (Blood Tests) Bill, which was given its second reading after a debate in the House of Lords on February 8 (NATURE, Feb. 18, 294), will duly pass into law. The use of blood group tests has already become a common practice in several other countries, notably Sweden, Germany and the United States. The Bill provides that the Lord Chancellor may make rules under the Act, governing the taking, identifying and posting of blood samples, the form of certificate to be given, the qualifications of the ‘approved persons’ who make the tests, and the scale of fees payable. It may be pointed out that the M and N tests require much more skill in determination than the A and B. It would therefore seem desirable for a local practitioner to take the samples as arranged and send them to one of a very limited number of experts who would make the actual tests. The Galton Laboratory is one of the very few places where the M and N as well as the A and B tests are constantly being made as a routine operation. In Denmark, a Government laboratory has been established for the purpose, where the tests are made for a small charge. Probably a similar arrangement would be best for Great Britain.
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The Bastardy (Blood Tests) Bill. Nature 143, 370 (1939). https://doi.org/10.1038/143370a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/143370a0