The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1911-01-16
GLIMMER OF HOPE
FOR IMBECILES
tcoatiaued from page ~.

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 the
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
subjected to medical treatment that
will render them harmless II turned
out upon the world.
"One fruitful source OF danger 10
found In the state reformatories for
girls, such as you have In Adrian. I'm
der the law the girls must be turned
out when they become of age. Many
OF them are detective; that Is, they be-
long to one branch or another of the
imbecile class They are not At to
mingle with society and help In the
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 dam
ger lies. II Is frightful to con-
template, and no time should be lost
in taking steps to put check to the
spread of imbecility as far as pos
sible.
rs there no cure for an imbecile,
them" Mr.. tombstone was asked.
Until very few months ago." he
replied, "the saying was, Once an
imbecile, always an imbecile,' and Il
was generally conceded that there
was no hope OF bringing this class OF
unfortunates to normal conditions. DIR.
Goddard's Investigations have led us
to believe that IL We study the fluids
of the body carefully we may be able
TO discover some means of accom-
plishing what now seems impossible.
What we need in Vineland right now
is biological chemist to make an ex-
haustlve study of the question and
that will probably be our next STEP
The moron, although the highest
type of imbecile. is also the most dan
gerous to society, Mr.. tombstone sayc.
because he is so nearly normal that
Il is often difficult to detect the strain
of imbecility which does not manifest
itself fully until he marries and be-
cones the father OF children. There
Is greater necessity for segregating
this type than any other. In Mr.. John
stones opinion. A moron may appear
perfectly normal under certain condi-
tons, and I'm this connection a re-
markable case was cited. A man was
foreman of big printing Office in one
III arir-
ably talented musician. Yet, when
submitted to the Binet test, which DR..
Goddard has brought to great state
OF perfection, he showed no more In
telligence than a child OF IL years.
The word, moron, DR.. Goddard OK
planned, is a Greek word meaning
fool. One definition Of fool Is "a per-
son lacking judgment or sense" and
that fits the moron's case exactly.
"The nearest word We have to II In
English is sophomore, meaning "a
wise fool.'' added Mr.. tombstone,
with q smile.
do you have any recoveries in
Vineland?" was asked.
About one ia 100," was the solemn
reply, land then only in cases where
the condition was due to neglect rath-
er than congenital defects. Ours IL
a work that Ia very trying on the
heartstrings. Wednesday Is visiting
day in our institution. and II is the
saddest OF the whole seven oh, how
my heart goes out to some parents
when they come to see their boys or
girls and realize that the children
probably will never be At to take their
place In the world along with normal
people. They come TO me and say,
what have we done, this burden Is
brought upon usr After what have
seen want to say that the father
and mother who have normal children
and boys and girls that have normal
sisters and brothers ought to get
down on their knees every night OF
their lives and thank God for mis-
goodness.
The instit ution in Vineland Is one
of the most remarkable In the world.
n embraces 25O acres. including q