The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-11-01
ARE ELEVEN KINDS OF nlED
According to Scientists There Ar,
Many Degrees Of Sanity.


Many Degrees Of Sanity.
The normal man is by no means
hxed quantity or quality. The
scientists show us that there are many
degrees of sanity. and that the alb
normal may run above or below what
We call the ordinary men and women.
For the purpose Of study no less.
than eleven "Orders Of Brain have
been laid down, and every one Of us
belongs to one of these classes
The largest class Of all is the aver
age man. constituting four fifths of
the population, in round figures some
100000 of the 100000 p0pula-
ton OF the United States in 1910. when
the last census was taken. In this
class are the laborers, the traders,
manufacturers, the great middle class,
which is the mental, moral and physi-
cal backbone Of the community, for it
is always normal. never loses its sense
of perspective. and. while conserve
tive, Is safe. It progresses slowly. but
steadily, but it does progress and its
voice is always right. or. as we put
It. THE voice OF the people is the
United States do we believe in the
common people and Europe has ar
rived at the same conclusion.
The next order of men are those
showing marked talent in every direc-
ton. and there are probably 100000
OF these in the United States They
"have more brains" we say, and they
show them by greater initiative and
keener insight: To this class belong
the social and political leaders. the
professors. the heads of large con-
Germs, great executive heads
Then comes the lesser genius, prob
ably 100000 in the United States, who
is full Of originality and ideas. often
those of the second order with the
ideas out OF which they make for
tunes. He scorns these practical
men and they return the compliment,
but help themselves to his ideas
The real genius comes next, and
these are possibly one out of a million
the Edisons, Bells, WESTINGHOUSE.
He is at the top Of the scale Of mem
talfty, and is altogether inexplicable.
But he stands supreme.
We now go down the scale and find
a class equal in number to the lesser
genius. probably 100000, which in
cludes the cranks, the markedly &C.
centric, even the anarchist He Is Just
verging upon the irresponsible, for.
while considered liable by the law, he
permits his ideas to run away with
him, and often comes under condem-
nation by the law. THIS class are I'M
conventional, a trial to their friends
and may do either good or harm. as
conditions permit.
The sixth order of mind il a large
one There are probably 100000 Of
| our citizens. men and women. below
the average in intellect and will
power. Under the best conditions
they may be redeemed and become
useful members of society, but. left to
themselves, as is usually the case, they
recruit the ranks of the tramps, the
paupers and even drift into the lower
criminal class. The men and women
of this order actually need human
help and suggestion, and with SYM
pathy may be saved.
TH1o ~ S.v0 ora A. n
not really sane before the law, but the
| unsoundness Of mind in them is grad
ed. although the law does not always
| act in accord with science in their
| brain disease in all Of them.
Those belonging to the seventh class
are men and women who have occa-
| sional attacks of mental unspundness,
but with proper medical care can be
saved and brought into one of the
higher classes. They may be clever
| and capable of doing good work be-
! tween attacks, and when cured. There
| are at least 100000 Of these in the
United States, many belonging to the
| BILE not to receive proper medical care.
The eighth class are much like the
preceding, but the mental trouble IL
more deep-seated. often hereditary.
scientists call these cases "adolescent
| insanity" There are as many in this
class as in the preceding, but they are
not SO hopeful. One four hundredth
| of the population fall into this order
| of defective BRAIN
The ninth class are the epileptics,
who are such from q real disease OF
| the brain. Many are able to work
more or less between attacks. but at
their worst they are totally fssesponst-
BILE and dangerous.
The congenitally weak-minded form
the next lower order of mind. number
+, ing at 100000 in the United States.
| They may be able to do simple work.
but really require special care either
| in state or private institutions. II
seems q pity, but one out Of every $50
Of the population falls in this class
/ The lowest class Of mental detectives
| is that Of the worst congenita1 i'm
| helpless, mindless and usually un-
! trainable. They are a dead loss to
society and only q drag upon Them
unfortunae relatives. Fortunately only
about one In every LOO belongs to
this class, making the total for the
United States about $4,000. although
these figures are only approximate.
The law of averages is remarkably
proved in the classification of orders
Of mind, and If an investigation II
made in any community 1t VIII be
/ found that one out of every hundred
belongs to some one OF the last live
classes of irresponsible human beings
Science Ii trying in every way to de-
crease this average by giving proper
treatment to the savable and by pre-
venting the multiplication of other de-
fectives, especially epileptics, known
to transfer their defect to their pro-
geny.-New York World:
j nElTnS am FlMFnmS