The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1915-11-24

Is known as the Huntington state Hos
Referring to idiocy. Dr. Guthrie said.
In part:
standing out boldly as a predominant
cause OF idiOcy and kindred conditions
IS heredity. This factor is vsriously
eStiulrted n. different authorities from
80 per cent TO 80 per cent OF ali cases.
OF other important causes We should
not lost sight OF tntempersnce or drunk
enness In either or both parents. general
had heelth OF mother during CESSATION.
especially when taken In connection with
poverty. unfaNorabne surroundings men
tai shock and Worn on the part OF the
mother Tedious ur prolonged labor. and
also some cases are attributed To- in
atrumental labor wshn balm tissue etc.
H. the child Is severely injured. Author
tiles on this subject place this one cause
alone as high az II per cent.
syphilis. which Is responsible for
SO many cases OF insanity car seldom be
charged rs a cause 81 the abnormal con-
diuons under discussion. Some,
ties placing The per cent due To syphilis
as low as Is oI 7 per cent Their. are
others Who claim mat one out or each
100 cases can be- attributed To tho dam
aging effects OF this disease.
consequently a. a cause In my judg-
ment Is very much over estimated. This
Is more OF T. cause Of intsnaifying a
family trait. whatever that trait may be.
causes acting after birth should be
mentioned tE ilNNullle paFllN SIS. Dpl-
lepsy. falls or iuJuric- TO head. cerebral
affections. meningitis. .csrlcntina. exc.
t~AccFicntal cascs.l Isolation and en-
@Nironmcnt may b. mentioned a. COM
%trioutinE causes in many cases.
Soctoty's Duty and Responsibility.
In caring Tor the profound idiot and
low grade imbccilo. Who are among us.
the matter b. largely a financial prob
lem which should b. humauely. wisely
and economically handled.
The adult idiot whose mental develop
ment when al tts greatest point will not
exceed by comparison that Of = normal
child OF two wears or OUNCE and tho
individual wro VIII never dcNclOp in
his mental faculties beyond that attained
hy g. normal child ranging from three To
seven years end known pr inbeci!e.
does MOI constitute the same danger and
perplexities rs does the adult individual
with the mind Of o child 90 - years.
mis- thifu class. sometimes referred
10 a. feeble minded. CO.. eS q moron. Is
loss understood by the laity thau the
idiot End the imhccii', nj 10 las only
been In th" last Few years that those
slightly defective lay. been seriously
considered.
The first ard the second class are
easily ana may ~ properly
cared Tor. The profound mental impair
ment is by comparison with the moron
an advantage TO society. tie. the idiot.
can not pl-u otfcnscs against his neigh
mors and In the advanced stages OF
iaioCy be rs not ant Co procr-ate.
How different b. this with the more
developed mental f~,llti.s OF do. moron
whose morals and usuelly warped. he
may plsu. he MAJ trrsll The land b. day
sind b. night. r-ropogutuT his Kind and
doing acts OF Violence.
Th.r" i- one element ;IEt MAJ Keep
him from violence. aud uat Del o. q
usual thing the moron is iuduleut. bus
there are many exceptions 20 this. d
has been f,rrihly stated THAT every
moron is p potential criminal. a. b, lacks
the uuderstHudiuE ~ right and wrong
and has mot th, power OF self control
The BOZ itfdual as an adult who o. de-
firI'ft iu these essential factors 20
mH'a' NE will or viii not become "a
criminal dependent upon temperament
and Duyironmoutf
THE feeble minded unless assisted by
fpuiIt Ur friends. tends tU become r.
pHup'r However. uPupcrs and ne er-do-
vel ore NOT IN this clrss FIRM chico
but because they ave not the ability Co.
Improve their condition. imagine tina
under conditions uf life less complex.
these people would have been az much
better advantage D comparison with
the normal person then to-day when our
~ enti"th century io'as and usares are
su complicated.
The moron muieh,1 "a typc o. mental
ity hat is truly p'rpleNiug o. has been
'sfiWHted that from ., per cent Co 90
per cent oI the population Of various
p"ultsutiariss belong tu tnle class. and
usually the a'cr-uu-ryelle thieves. pros