The Detroit times., 1911-01-17
.Gl|MMER OF HOPE
FOR |MBEC|LEs
Science May Reveal Means Of Curing
Feeble Minded. Say Experts Here
To Urge State Home.

There are 400 idiots, 500 jmbeciles
and 400 morons "a higher grade Of
imbecile) in Detroit. according to DR..
Henry Fl. Goddard. of the New Jersey
Training School for Feeble Minded
Boys end Girls. In Vineland, y. j. The
figures are based on percentages that
have been established by careful IN
vestigations in many sections and on
a population of 100000.
DR.. Goddard. who is at the head OF
the research department of the fam
Gus New Jersey institution. Is In the
city with the superintendent, Z. r.
tombstone, on the invitation of Supt.
of Schools Martindale, in the interests
Of a movement looking TO the estab-
lishment in the vicinity OF De-
troit OF state school for the
feeble-minded. along the lines OF the
Vineland institute. They addressed
the teachers during the afternoon and
Monday evening spoke In the
Central High school auditorium, be-
fore the general public, outlining the
work in Vineland in detail.
Both are wonderful men. They are
full of the subject SO near their heart,
the care and training OF sub-normal
children. IL is their life-work and II
requires but n few minutes converse
ton with them to arouse ones keen
interest in and sympathy with the
cause OF the deficient, or II may be,
only the neglected child.
Supt. Martindale Is confident that,
as a result of the visit of these men,
the passage of bill In the legisla-
ture. to provide a home such as has
been outlined, Is rendered practical
ly certain. for Messrs. tombstone and
Goddard 20 from here to other cities
In the state on the same mission.
That there Is need for such an In
stitution right now is shown by the
conditions now existing In Detroit.
Fully score Of detectives were ex-
cluded from the schools. even from
the special classes for backward chill
dren, last year, and are now roaming
the streets at will, because there Is
no institution fitted to take care OF
them.
What to do with the sub-normal
child has become the greatest prob
lem that confronts educationists to-
day, and Is to men like Mr.. tombstone
and DR.. Goddard, whose work in
Vineland has attracted universal at
tention, that the world looks for so
luton of the question.
Unless some method is discovered
to make the defective or deficient
child normal. when taken In time, one
OF two things must be done for tho
protection OF society" said Mr.. john
stone. The unfortunates must either
be segregated and kept In institutions
such as ours and such as Is now pro-
posed for Michigan, or they must be
su bJected TO medical treatment that
will render them harmless II turned
out upon the world.
One fruitful source OF danger Is
found In the state reformatories Tor
sirls. such as you have In Adrian. Tn
der the law the girls must be turned
out when they become OF age. Many
of them are defective; that Is, they be-
long to one branch or another OF the
lmbecile class. They are not MT TO
mirgle with society and help In tho
worlds work on the same plane with
normal people. Yet, they move about
without restraint, free to do as they
please. In many cases they get mar
ried and bear children, and those
children are invariably imbeciles or
idiots. That Is where the great dan
ger lies. II is frightful to con-
template, and no time should be lost
I'm taking steps to put a check to the
spread OF imbecility as far as Pos
sible.
rs there no cure for an imbecilc.
them" Mr.. tombstone was asked.