Daily Kennebec journal., 1904-06-27


is 500 and assuming that the two insti-
tutions are placed under moral obliga-
tions to provide for the latter where
dclusions of homcidal character have
supervened and the lives of the family
and community are jeopardized the alb
soiute inability will at once become ap-
parent, for the two institutions with a
capacity of 500 to continue to meet the
pressing demands which will be con-
stantly made growing out of the neces-
sites for treatment of a large percent
age of 1899 insane and 1891 feeble-mind-
ed.
Indeed, if the management of the two
institutions take advantage of the strict
letter of the statutes and refuse to rem
der assistance to this defective class
even then according to the census of 1890
there were 500 more insane in the State
notwithstanding recently increased ac-
commOdations, than can be provided
for; SO that in seizing either horn of the
dilemma we are placed under embar-
rassment. The writer has been unable
as vet to obtain from the bureau of the
United States census the statistics of
1900 relative to the insane and feeble
minded and has been informed recently
| that they will not be ready for distri-
button for several months at least 1t is
| fair to presume, however, inasmuch as
there was a slow but gradual increase
| in the population of the State during
| the decade between 1890 and 1900 that
these two defective classes have in
creased in numbers rather than dimin-
ished, especially when we take into con-
Sideration the large influx of laborers
| from Canada and foreigners from con-
| tinental Europe. If there We're no OBJ
| jectionS, and no incOmpatibility existed
| in the treatment of the insane and the
| feCble-Ininded together, if the trend of
| enlightened investigation which has
| been prosecuted so studiOusly by indie
| fatigueable students of phychiatry dur
| ing the past two decades did not oppose
| such procedure, if educated public sem
| timent did not interdict it, then the pro-
| visions as at present inau2urated are
totally inadequate to carry out the de-
mandS for treatment. In using the
term feeble c-minded' lest there be some
misunderstanding by the laity in rela-
ton to what the term implies it is per-
| haps proper | should state at this juno
| ture, that it is intended to include a
group of three classes namely, the idi-
ot, the imbecile and the feeble-minded.
The abnormalites observed in this de-
fective group arise largely as the result
Of hereditary transmission which int1u-
ences an arrest of development either
ir embryo or during the physiological.
physical and mental stages in the
growth of the child, or defective meta
bolism may play an important part 50
suit.
The brain centers with their existing
cells and molecules, which are de-
signed to contribute to the building up
of both body and mind, being diseased
are unable to perform their intended
functions and hence we begin to OBJ
serve dwarfed conditions either in
physical or mental development or both
combined. AS a consequence of these
degenerative processes set up in the
child's life, we are able as q result to
, diagnose, three quite distinct grades,
first. the idiot. who is deprived Of all
higher mental power and whose ability
to acquire is exceedingly limited if not
absolut ely abolished: second, the imbe-
cile, who is capable of acquiring to SOME
extent, but whose grasp of mind is
hedged in by quite serious limitations,
=, and third, the Predetermined, whose
judgment is defective and in whom
these limitations are the result of the
; same degeneratIve processes which give
l rise to the idiot and the imbeciie. The
term predetermined, is n relative phrase
and think it is quite generally con-
{ strucd to. correspond to the definition
! which | have given to the third grade
of the group, but in its application to
T. the subject under discussion it should
receive the most liberal construction
: and the urgent necessities to provide
: proper care which demand the action of
i oir Legislative bodies should apply not
! only to the feeble-minded. but to the
A idiot and imbecie as Well, and the
{ strong arm of the State should extend
= it's protection to the absolutely helpless;
= as well as to those suffering from slight
, mental enfeeblement. that tiass whom
, it is reasonable to expect will receive
-, such benefit which is the prerogative of
n school for the feeble-mintcf to eN-
!, tend, as shall afford the patent an op-
. portunity to return to n life of useful
: ness and pro1uctiveneSs.
There is unuuestionably avery gcn-
eral sentiment existing throughout the
State that the time is ripe Nhnn legiS-
lative action should be takeIto provide
a school for this defective class. To
= those who have given perSnal atten-
ton to the matter md who
% have taken pains to investigate
Ie into the individual conditsn of the
he feeble-minded of the State a settled
g and we'll grounded convictin has be-
as come established that the etending Of
le state care is one of absolue necessi-
t. ty and that steps should b, taken at
m once by legislative enactmat to eli
or inmate this class from udesira BILE
to home care and alsmhOuses Ind place
4 them under institutional treatment
4 where proper environments an be af-
- foricd and opportunities fo improve
O. mcnt and in some cases recyery may
in be established.
ne The efforts Of the variOy womens
he | organizations of this city the last
Legislative session supplemend by ad-
III dtional laborerS in other tctions of