The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-01-27
nails, 143 feeble minded. while eighty
two died soon after birth.
nr nr.>xyry,s Warming

State hospital at Petersburg. has re-
peatedly sounded a warning to this
State of the danger which Is grow
ing so fearfully. In a recent paper
appearing in the Virginia Medical
Semi Monthly he states
"A brief consideration of the more
important causes of mental degen-
eracy, disease and weakness will sug-
gest the lines along which our efforts
ing cause Is 10 be found in bad
heredky-a blight passing directly
from generation to generation, or per-
chance skipping a generation. In the
term heredhy / include both similar
heredity, that Is, the transmission to
the offspring of the same form of
mental or nervous defect or disease
that existed in the parent, and dissim-
ilar that is. whore the parent suf-
fered from different form of defect
or disease from that which afflicts
the offspring. In seventy five per
cent, maybe more, of all the various
types of mental. physical and moral
detectives there Is a history of idiocy.
feeble mindedness, epilep-
sly. insanity, alcoholism. syphilis, or
some other degenerative faint in the
parents or ancestors of such afflicted
persons Profound thinkers have
said that most Of the human insists
are born and comparatively few are
made. In sixty-fiv per cent or more
of feeble mindedness there is a de-
fective heredity strain, direct or col
lateral, similar or dissimiliar. The
same is true of epilepsy. and in the
case of insanity about two-thirds start
life with more or less defect or mental
unbaiance. A child coming into the
world with mental inadequacy or with
a subnormal or weakened constitu-
ton, as result of ancestral mental de-
fects or disease. or of epilepsy, alco-
holIsm, tuberculosis, cancer, syphilis
or other constitutional disease, starts
upon a manned existence. so handi-
capped that he cannot Withstand the
stress and strain like a child whose
parents are normal and healthy. and
whose environmental conditions are
good.
''Dr. A. w. Wilmarth, superintend-
ent OF the Wisconsin Home for the
Feeble-minded. says that the largest
family of detectives coming under his
observation was eighteen have
known ignorant negro women in the
Central State hospital. Virginia. who
had been the mothers Of twenty-odd
children. 1t has been said that 1t ap-
pears that while nature tends to
check increase in the case of gross
bodily infirinity, II is otherwise where
only the higher faculties are involved
in the degeneratiye process
There needs to be a guardianship
over such persons A superior intel
iect is necessary to guide and protect
those who are incapable of self-preser-
walton. or of earning their own living.
or adjusting themselves to the ordi-
nary environment and conditions, or
who are q menace to the community.
TO the State would be inconsiderable
such guardianship. What will the
State do about it? The present cost
Of the State would be inconsiderable
as compared with that of the future
when the number will necessarily De
much augmented unless something is
done to check the constantly tncreas-
ing number"
Presents Virginia's Case
DR.. J. T. Mastin, secretary OF the
State board of charities and correc-
tions. has recently issued a bulletin
on this subject, in which the case OF
the feeble minded in Virginia Is
forcibiy told. He shows that there
are now more than six thousand
idiots and imbeciles in this State
known to him. and perhaps thousands
Of others. He has had tested the
mentality of the inmates OF the Jul
venile reformatories. and his tables
show that of the inmates of the girls
reformatory eighty-seven per cent
are feeble minded; of the boys re-
formatory seventy seven per cent,
and Of the coiored boys eighty-two
per cent are so afflicted.
DR.. Mastin has prepared charts
howing the degree OF dependency. the
amount Of delinquency, and all the
other evil attendant upon this conditi-
ton, for exhibition to the Legislature.
and these will soon be placed in the
lobby of the capitol so that all may
see
While the State has provided for
sixty women of this class of unfor-
Inmates, it has remained for the
school board of the city OF Richmond.
under the advice of DR.. j. A. c.
Chandler, to take the most advanced
scientific step in this matter.
The city has, during this season, Sc
cured the services of Mis- Elizabeth
e. Webb. a mental diagnostician. OF
the Vineland training school. to test
and properly classify all backward
children, and to arrange classes for
such children.
Frequently a child is backward In
his classes, because of no mental de-
feet, but because of some home con-
dition, some accidental prevention OF
school advantages er-eEeH through
some minor physical ailment The
latter Is discovered by the school
physician. and the remedy pointed
out But for the feeble minded child
there Is no cure.
He must be especially taught. for
he can be taught. and taught much,
IL taught wisely and of subjects with
in scope of his ability. His intellect
cannot be increased, but along the
lines within his capacity he may be
taught innumerable things, and it is
the duty of the mental expert to seek
out and find first the child. then the
things this child should be taught
Miss Webb, when seen by The Vir-
gilman representative, explained the
method Of procedure with the school
children.
Investigation In Schools.
First the records of the school will
show which children appear super
fcialiy to be behind their roommates,
On investigation OF each child. the
reason will shortly appear for his
backwardness He may have been
moved from school to school by his
parents change of resident. and thus
have lost ground in one or more
studies. This child. If especially
coached on his weakness will gem
orally catch up and be able TO main
tain his grades in future. Or there
may be some physical defect which
the school physician should see. or
frequently the child Ia merely Feeble
minded. and simply cannot, however
helped, ever attain the things his fell