754 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY
family which is being molded for better social service. The stress laid by the code upon child-bearing reflects the economic value of children in an agricultural, pastoral, and industrial country. Barrenness as a factor in determining various adjust- ments of the family relations is frequently mentioned in the marriage laws. The childless wife must have been a pathetic figure in Babylon.
These, then, are the keynotes of the code: supreme, central- ized power; a stratified society; a uniform administration of justice by the state; individual responsibility; safeguards for property; protection for the weak; a unified and efficient family institution.
GEORGE E. VINCENT. THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO.
