The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-08-04
.U.S':I|NGGTHEK|N|FE...
.I0|0!s' J VI !.
philadelphia society g Doctors
" Perform Operations in Anti
Vice Camtllpaig
FIND MANY N Feeble i MINDS ll
Two Operations on On Brain Inter e.
est Scienc Medical Men Are
Watching the Results.
FIND MANY FEEB LE MINDS 1! ):
i.ij Especial TO The Times Dtspatch.} s
PHILADELPHIA PA, August 0.--Fo1

lowing out the theories OF the country,s
foremost physic,ans and the recent Lrul-i
ings OF the Juvenile courts, tue aPennsyl-
yania Society TO Protect Chlldren from
Cruelty. working In con- Jun ction with DE-
rector Coplin, OF the Bureau Of Health
and Charities and Chief Abbott. Of the
Bureau OF Health, has instituted the prac-
itice \ OF performing operations upon & me e
children d given into Its cha rye wn !'1
medical opinion ID rendered that s Ille Q
course is likely TO prevent e. g GRIMM =
career si5 IS 81 Sd. Il Il, .
n Tina first subjects Of these experiments
werol operated on yesterday at the intlrrn-
q ~ of the society. which was the first
8orran ton OF Its kind In the conntr 70
adont this course. 4 In all seven children
we're NIT under the knife by p number OF
the city's most prominent surgeons, VINO q
performed operations OF varied natures llsl, 1
from the most delicate to ones OF MINOR
Importance lculated $to im pfoye Wy
mental and moral dttion \ o. ing pu7
st!ents. !. \. I, y 7, "a
There were two opera atoms on 8pra ~
three on eyes and two minor op era'uon |. !
for nervousness, and all, II Is peiieV ''eel
viii be su ccessful. sb:3; Isl 33Ss5
Interest Prominent Surgeons.
8Tho nhy,si clans who either participated
a. were interested IN the opora ons were e
81. &. Weir Mi tchell. Dr. Adolf, Y ..
George w. Dough erty DR.. f. Il Dercul11'.
~ w. lyfw. Hawke, Or, Alfred Gordon
Dr.. Charles Il. Mills, Dr. Louis staEs
and DR.. Fred Freely. The chilosen are
but a few OF the number examined { ~,
Dr.. ~ C. Vessels and De. ~ - B1tcnes'
detailed to the task by; Director Coplln,3
and q number OF other sin1ila operations
viii be performed within e. short time
with the same purp pose inse vie w Thus
FAR only those child renE have been exam
lined who are in the tenn porarys Gust ody5
OF the society. Where such child rem ere e.
found by the examining ply siclans 70
be apparently destined to faa a criminal q
career through some physical defect the
parents OF the children are consulted.
and II pern1issionft rs obtained the opera
ton Is performed. The obtaining OF the
ir .-5 353l
For two weeks the 4exa1aaina tons have
been going on. the most minute Inquiries
being made by the examining physiciansi
into the past history OF the children and
their parents, as well as questions border.
ing upon their present health and condi-3
ton. AS O result can1pal gn against
crimlnologyI has been instituted by the
society which medical experts believe Will
be OF immense value In supp resslng tens
denotes for evil in the children brought
=
and the physicians interested In the idea
believe that in many ca ses the entire fu-
ture OF the little patients will be altered
for the better as q result OF the operations
they are performing a$S3S55 Il &55
Eye Trouble is Frequent.
The total number OF children examined
Is lat About fifty per cent. have been
found to be suffering from refraction Of
the eyes. Glasses hav| been ordered for
all Of these. and, wherever possible, the
parents have been required to meet the
cost OF the glasses. but where they are
unable to do 80 the socety furnishes them.
DR.. Alfred Gordon reports that he has
discovered surprisingly large number OF
cases Of -mindedness among chill
dren supposed to be the victims OF CRU
city, who are really In a condition bor-3
dorng closely upon i,nbecility, and CALL
Ing for constant and patient care OF a
character their busy parents arc unable.
to give them. It is proposed that these
children in many cases shall be sent to
the Institution for the feeble-mlnded,
which Is to be built at Spring City,
where the evil can be corrected to- q
great extent and perhaps result In the
total cure OF the children Who would
otherwise be turned out upon the world
misunderstood and regarded aa common
criminals. It Is believed that the crlm-l
inal instinct in their brains. caused by,
the defect, would increase as they grow
older, VI " 5#f
Medical men in this city are greatly
interested in the new and unprec edented
move OF the society and the most prom
inent OF local surgeons have volunteered
their services in the cause. Heretofore
such operations have been performed In!
frequently by court order, on the recon-
mendation OF medical experts. but this is
the first time It has been taken up by
an organization OF this oslaraoter. AS g
result, 1t IS likely that several hundred
operations Will be performed yeaGly, II
tho experiments prove successful, and q
corresponding decrease In crime Is antici-s
pated as 2 result Of It, n rs Al a. q