Norwich bulletin., 1916-02-26


 charged with caring for the poor of certain town in Connecticut was called to the condition of a. family residing in an outlying part of the town. It was winter when the call came and a representative of the town trudged through the snow to @ dilapidated farm house with only two rooms. He found a family consisting of man and wife, four children, and one child that had just passed away The body of the little one was laid out in one of the rooms, and the rest of the family were living and sleeping in the other room in which there was one bed. I had almost said that they were sleep ing, living and cooking in one room, but there had been no cooking for some time because there was nothing in the house to eat. The town ar ranged for the funeral and gave the family temporary relief. It was then disclosed that the mother was feeble minded and came of a feeble minded family. that the father was an epilep- tic, and that three of the four living children were also feeble minded. An attempt was made to get two of the children into the Connecticut Training School for the Feeble Minded at Lake ville but there was no room for them and they have since been kept at county home for neglected and depend ent children, where of course they impede very much the education of the children who are proper inmates of such a home. This left one-feeble- minded child at home, and since the event described another infant has been added to the family. The chances are that this child and as many more as may be born in the muture will show the same heritage and multiply by just so much, and their descend ants by still more, the burden which must be borne by the town, county and state in which they live.
 I have endeavored not to localize this family, and I do not doubt that the selectman of almost any town in the state will forthwith suspect that the reference is to some family in his town, so common are the conditions described above.
 Not Recognized as Menace.
 Tn years gone by feeble -mindedness was not recognized as being so great Possibly living conditions in country towns have deteriorated; possibly again the ease with which intoxicants can be obtained and the increase in their use may account in a measure for some change in conditions; possi- bly again the greater care we now give to dependents of all kinds may have enabled some to survive and bring up families who in ruder times would have been crushed out in the struggle for existence. Without doubt we now recognize and are able to classify def l initeiy as feeble minded, persons who in the past have been simply regarded as stubborn, idle or vicious. At all events. the number of those known to | be Predetermined has increased to an alarming degree within recent years. | There are known to be at least 2000 iT %ha Q of CnnnaH- = l ticut, of whom only 300 can be accom- modated in any institution within this state adapted to the care and support of feeble minded persons. This means ! that there must be at least 17o0 fee | ble- minded persons at large.
 ble-mindedness manifests itself | in the failure of a child to advance mentally beyond certain age. In | the more obvious cases, such as idiots | and children who never grow to be more than five or six years old ment- | ally, the defect is very marked, and | the care of the child so afflicted is such a burden and strain upon the | family that it is not surprising to find | that aplications for admission to ! Iakeville relate largely to this lower | class of feeble-minded. Yet in a prop | erly equipped institution 1t Is possible | to do a great deal even for children o1 i this kind. The children at Lakeville l have an average mental age or Six | yeanS, ana yet they are taught to IIldhe and repair mattresses, make brooms | brushes, rugs, door mats, stockings and all kinds of sewing and fancy l work. Thus while contributing in 6 small way to their own support, they | find occupation and congenial associ' ates and this gives a very much pleas anter and healthier environment thar being at home with no occupation ana no systematic and suitable care.
 Where Greatest Menace Lies.
 But the feeble minded children whose mental age does not exceed six years while they may be the most repulsivt
 ones to have about, are still not th' most dangerous. It should be bornt
 in mind that the feeble-minded whe1
 they reach a certain degree of menta
 development never advance any fur
 ther. Feeble-mindedness is incurable and while some children reach a men
 tai age of six years and can neve
 advance any further no matter hoy
 long they live, there are others whi
 reach a mental age of six to fourteen
 years and can never advance any fur
 ther. It is this class of higher grad
 imbeciles or feeble-mtnded person
 which constitutes the greatest menac
 to the community, because a persol
 who has the mentality of a chill l twelve twelve or fourteen years o age is capable of doing a great man, things. Such child can dress an,