The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1912-05-25
4 /. 404.OI7G7

Chuer me compulsory school law
every child between the ages OF : and
10 must attend school. whether he OF
she is defective or not. Children OF
this age who are defective, who cannot
be properly cared for in the home
schools must go toN the state schools.
Among these is the Home for the
Feeble Minded This institution has a
capacity of about 900 There are 022
inmates and there is long waiting list
Of several hundred These nave been
committed by magistrates but the in
stitution is unable to take them in.
Dr. Haynes the medical superin-
tendent OF the institution of Lapeer.
estimates the number Of feeble-minded
in the state at 10, 600. Or. Henry God
dard OF Vineland. N. j.. estimating on
basis Of conditions as they are in
New Jersey, thinks there are 80, 900
feeble-mnided in Michigan.
The scientists make three divisions
of feeble minded. IDIOTS. imbeciles and
morons. Idiots are Of three grades. low
middle and high grades; the morons
and imbeciles also are of three grades.
a feebleminded child is defined as one
whose mental age is at least three years
under his chronological age. A moron
of the highest grade never gets beyond
the mental age OF -. A child OF this
age can, under oversight. use simple
machinery or can care for animals, but
cannot plan.
IF we take DR. Haynes estimate,
which is the lowest have seen. name.
ly. that there are 10 900 feeble minded
IN the state, the state institution comes
long way from caring for the needs
of this class Of unfortunates We ought
TO have ten institutions for the care Of
feeble minded instead of one.
The deaf children may be educated
and become self supporting. This is
true of the blind 10 certain extent.
The inmates of the industrial schools
for boys and for girls. provided they
are mentally competent. are quite likely
TO become az least self-supporting. The
state public school which first and last
has cared for about $. 600 dependent and
neglected children. has put nearly all
of these in good families, and in many
cases they become good citizens There
is no such hopeful thing 10 say about
the institution at Lapeer. Il can only
care for those who are incapable Of de
velopment. incapable Of sufficient
training and education TO ever make
them independent Nor is there any
hope that they may become useful and
self-supportiEg citizens
There are children being cared tor
in the various reformatory and henovo-
lent institutions that are not properly
subjects for those institutions For
example, the Girls Industrial home at
Adrian is caring for no least hundred
girls who are feeble minded and who,
in my Judgment. Ought 10 be cared for
in a custodial institution rather than
in reformatory. They have not the
capacity for reformation. That is true
in a large degree in the Industrial
School for Boys, and TO somewhat lesser
degree in the schools for the deaf aud
blind and the state public school. So
ciety does not appreciate the gravity Of
the problem OF caring for the mentally
deficient Nor does il appreciate the
part that heridity plays in the breed
ing of detectives.
In the state OF New Jersey the in
stitution at Vineland for the care Of
the feeble minded has made qnite ex.
haustive inquiry into the ancestry OF
the people who are its wards In 81
per cent of the cases they are able 60
trace the mental defect hack 10 defec
tive ancestor The matter of the
breeding OF animals has received a
great deal OF attention. with the result
that the type Of horses. cattle and hogs
has greatly improved ever that OF a
century ago.
II presume II Is true everywhere.as
II - in New Jersey that u feeble
minded father and feeble minded |
mother never beget anything but feeble /
minded children. Where one Of the
parents j. feeble minded their progeny
may or may not be feeble minded, hut /
u is more than likely that some o.
the grandchildren will be feeble
There Is in the institution at
Lapeer feeble minded mother with
her three feeble minded children all 4
begotten in wedlock Something has
been accomplished, but the work is
handicapped on account Of lack OF
funds but 50 far AZ the inquiry has
gone the same state OF things appears
Detectives beget detectives.