The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1901-12-27
THE CHARITY ORGANIZA-
TION SOCIETY,".

The Charity Organization Society of
Baltimore has just published a number of
its quarterly paper, the "Charities Re-
cord" which is devoted to the subject of
the State care of the feeble minded and
epileptic. In an editorial which states
that in every part of the State OF Mary
land there is felt to be the need for more
ADEQUATE provisions tor the feehlem
ed and epilelt'c, it is urgel that vigo-
rous effort tie made OD to secure segrega-
ton in proper asylums of the adult feeble
in mind who are plainly harmful to society
o. to rouse public sentiment at once to
see that suitable care with separation of
sexes, is given in all almshouses (:0 to
obtain adequate support for the enlarge
ment of the Asylum and Training School
for the Feeble Minded of the State of
Maryland situated at Owings Mills,
Baltimore County.
The Secretary of the State Lunacy
Commission, DR.. George j. Preston, says
in an article which follows that excellent
work is being done at the State School,
buildings and equipment are adequate IS
far as they go but because the State is
not generous enough to enlarge and
properly equip this plant, the length OF
the waiting list is appalling and constant
ly grows larger. At present but 95 feeble
minded children are being cared for by
the State in spite of the fact that hun
dreds of these unfortuuatcs are in homes
where they can receive no training and
are becoming menace to the community
at large, as well as a drag on the me nbers
of their own families.
From one of The county am>h uses,
where tie provision for keeping the sexes
seperate is very made quate. the report
comes of IA feeble minded woman, who
| brings into the world every year or So
/ an infant. The state of affairs at the
aims Ii ,usc CAUSED by this woman's con-
duct is said to be simply fearful. Just
Y ;r ago the six year old daughter of this
woman was committed to a ch.lyireu's
institution i'll Baltimore, but being found
| to be hopeless idiot, she was returned
to the CORY by tie institution. S. e
could net lie place in the State School
because Of lack of room. From Queen
Anne, Cecil. Garrett, II ,rford. Frederick
| and other counties comes the cry for
some institu ion ii whic. to place feeble
these afflicted persons are being shame
| fully abused, as for instance in the case
| of child of Is years in Hartford County,
who is reported to be treated badly and
seen frequently without sufficient clothing
| for either comfort or decency.
As Dr. Preston says the Estate of Mary
land is not doing its duty. Is there any
subject that should appeal more strongly
to the hearts Of we!l-thinking men and
women than the pitable case of these uu
| fortunate children: Let US present this
subject to the members of the L legislature
and urge for the honor of the State and
the cause of humanity that something
more and something better be done for
our afflicted children DR.. John s. Full
ton, Secretary of the State Board of
Health, adds his testimony to that of 9TH
crs to emphasize the fact that as a State
we are generally negiecting to care for
these detectives and that as result Of
our negligence and short sightcdness the
defective children are, when grown old
enough to leave the family circle, usually
advanced to the almshouse or the Jail.
That the leaving of imbeciles to live how
and where they please means that there
will be IA constant increase in the number
of the defective, dependent and delinquent
classes is urged by one of the great au-
| thorities in the care of the feeble minded,
Mr.. Alexander Johnson, Superintendent
| of the Indiana State School for the Feeble
Mine ed. Taking the United States as a
whole, he claims til It % per cent. of i'm
beetles owe their atfl .cton to hereditary
causes but 30 per cent. to accident or dis
ease To care for all now and stop the
il Gre use would mean that the stream, of
which idiotic parentage is the source,
would be diminished by two thirds of its
volume in 35 years. Can you suggest"
he says, "a more profitable investment for
the State than that" Let US see to it that
the State realizes its duty and that it does
its part in relieving these unfortunates
and in protecting itself against the in
crease in the number of its feeble minded
and epieptic charges.