Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-02-11
STATE HOUSE.
Report Of School for Feeble
Minded at ". POwnaI.
Segregation Recommended Be-
cause Of Menace Pointed Out.
Apportlonment Of State Stipend for
1919 Agricultural Fairs.
STATE HOUSE CALENDAR.
Regular Meeting of Governor and
Council Will Be Held at 10 A. NJ.
Thursday, Feb 26,

patents actually present IN the lnSJi-
tuition has increased from PA to 248,
an increase of "a; and the daily av-
erage number of patients present has
increased from 1870 to 1855, an in
crease of 45.6. OF the 81 admissions,
As were admitted by commitment, four
without commitment children under
six years of age), four re-adnlissions
from visit and four nominally adj
mitted for discharge. OF the 40 cases
OF the new admissions % were under
16 years of age and capable Of learn
ing to read and write; seven were I'M
der 16 years of age and not capable
of being taught to read and write;
SIX males were over is years of age
and IA females were over is years of
age.
Touching conditions at the school,
the report says:
I'VE discharged three patients as
capable of self-support, eight as i'm
proved and one as not improved. Of
the " cases discharged during the
year, seven were discharged while
home on trial visit, two were taken
home by friends, two were discharged
to be taken out of the State and one
hospital.
considering the fact that a large
percentage of the feeble-minded are
poorly developed, which predisposes
them to physical disease, we have had
few serious illnesses. There were five
deaths during the year. The death
rate calculated upon the total num-
Der who received treatment was Is
per cent, or Is deaths to 1000 popula-
ton, which shows that the death rate
among the feeble minded Is only
| slightly larger than in the State at
large. Each Of the deaths was the
result of one of the following causes:
neutrality-suspicious., epilepsy and en-
terocolitis tubercular-enteritis, ex
haustion from malnutrition. epilepsy
with exhaustion.
I'VE have now 10 applications on
file FOR admission for boys. and Il
for girls, making a total of Isl feeble
minded persons waiting for admission
to the school. These figures, however.
are no indication of the number of
feeble-minded in the State The peo-
pie know that the institution is full.
hence many apply only for urgent
and troublesome cases. Some have
withdrawn their applications and APP
piled to private and State institu-
lions in other states. Then again
large percentage of the high grade
imbeciles and morons are not recog-
nized as feeble minded by the rela-
tives or friends, and yet we know
only too well that oftentimes these
are the most harmful and dangerous
"a
to reproduce their kind and thus be-
come an important factor in the pro-
duction of feeble mindedness, insan-
ity, crime. pauperism. intemperance
and prostitution. Since we know that
the production of feeble-mindedness is
largely a question of heredity ard that
the only way to reduce the number
of detectives is to prevent them from
begetting their own kind, why should
we not segregate all the feeble mind
ed and thus prevent feeble-minded-
ness.
Medical Work.
"A thorough physical examination
of the children, and a systematic men
tai examination and testing by the
Binet- Simon tests for intelligence age,
and classification of our children has
been begun. These examinations en-
able us to determine more accurate
ly and scientifically the exact degree
of mental defect present in each child.
Reports of the childs behavior on the
wards, as we'll as reports of its actual
work, and progress in school, are also
filed with each child's record.
aside from a few cases of a mild
form OF measles, we have been sin
gularly free from contagious diseases.
AS common among children, we have
had many minor gastric and intesti-
nal disturbances, but, on the whole,
the health Of our children has been
good.
During the past year we have had
a great many inquiries from parents
OF our children and other interested
persons in regard to the work being
done in our school and industrial de-
partment. The aim of our instruction
and training Is to develop each child
in the direction Of his capabilities. We
give our children as much literary
instruction as they are capable OF be-
ing benefited by but unfortunately only
a few feeble-minded are capable of
learning to read and write intelli-
gently. We lay much emphasis on
Industrial training, and useful occu-
pations, as it is only by this sort
of training that the fceble-minded are
ever able in later life to become use
full and contribute to their own sup
port. Indeed, the simplest occupa-
ton taught becomes educative as 1t
stimulates mental activity, and the
feeble-minded learn many things in
connection with their work which they
would not be able to learn from books.
THE average attendance in school
during the past year was 10S, and the
number in school at the beginning Of
this school year is 40.
Activities and Amusements.
"rrha older bows take an active mart