The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-03-10
THE MENTALLY WEAK
FORM A MENACE
Declared Men at Head of Homes fol
Feeble Minded in Massachusetts,,
in Addressing Legislative
Hearing at Montpelier.

Seeking to impress on their audience
the great necessity for the proper care
Of feeble minded persons as matter o.
self protection of any commonwealth
Drs. Fernald and Wallace, who are al
the head of the Predetermined homes in
Massachusetts, made liberal use OF sta
tistics and lantern slides when they
appeared before the public hearing on
the proposed Vermont home for dcfec-
| tiyes in representatives. hall at Mont
lpelier last evening
! DR.. Fernald stated that feeble-mind
edness was not question OF immigra-
ton, and he set it forth as q dismal
fact that there is more feeble minded
ness in the Anglo-Saxon stock than
among those of foreign birth New Eng
land for the past 100 years has been
practicing eugenes upside down, he de-
clared, sending the best TO other parts Of
the country and leaving the less active
and yirile to reproduce their kind in the
rural sections
He ventured the estimate that there
are at least four detectives to every 1000
of the population in Vermont, which
would give the state a predetermined
population of at least 1900. These kind
multiply more rapidly than DO normal
men and women, and they as rule pro-
duce detectives, for heredity plays a
large role in their increase.
In fact, fully 50 per cent. Of defec-
tives belong to the hereditary type, the
other 20 per cent. being accidental, due
to sickness during infancy or to accident
or TO illness on the part of father or
mother The normal family may pro-
duce a feeble minded child, and it some
times seems that feeble- minded child
is more likely TO be born of brilliant
parents than of ordinary ones.
DIR. Fcrnald emphasized his contention
that no other defect is so certain TO
be transmitted by heredity as feeble
mindedness. by a great number Of charts
and statistics. He said that one family
has cost the state Of Massachusetts over
100000 in the past 100 years, and there
is one generation that has already cost
the state $4,000 The way 60 correct
the evil is by stoppage at the source;
that is, by denying the detectives the
right TO become parents. Prostitution
is largely question OF feeble minded
ness he declared, and defective girls are
most corrupting influence in any com
munity.
II was pointed out that Vermont was
the only New England state which did
not undertake to care for its own defec-
tives within its borders, and that it and
Delaware were the only states on the
eastern seaboard that were in this posi-
ton. As a matter OF economy and as a
safeguard against continued expense, il
was argued that the state should pre-
vent the propagation Of detectives by
uring for them in institutions. II three
DR. four generations OF detectives are
cared for in this way. this social evil
viii have in large measure disappeared,
il was argued.
The hearing was held in connection
with a proposed appropriation for the
OF a Predetermined home IN
Vermont The legislature 81 1912 APP
propriated the sum Of $3.50 for the
Of a site for a home. aud a
bin 10 defray the cost Of the buildings
viii be introduced at this session.