Evening journal., 1916-05-18

bronze tablet placed upon Il BY the .
Pennsylvania Railroad Company.
THE work Of the Delaware Division /.
International Sunshine Society, is de- /
voted principally to the conservation
OF sight and the prevention OF blind
ness and feeblemindedness among
children. The work OF the State civics
and health committee has been en-
dorsed by the State Medical Society.
The condition Of the feebleminded in
this State is a special issue with the
committee Several strong and inter
esting addresses have been delivered
on this subject by persons OF authority
within the last few months.
New Castle Club also observed
baby week and held a better babies
contest. which aroused q great deal
Of interest through the community.
The Predetermined.
In the course Of her address on the
predetermined" Miss Kite. who was
the first speaker for the afternoon
said in part:
There is no mistaking the fact that
a great awakening is taking place all
over our country in regard to ths
feeblominded
In a sense the problem belongs to
the specialist and not TO the public al
large. yet having its roots so dee1
down in all our social life Il cannot b.
/ radically treated without decided dis
turbancc Of our present social order
hence tho necessity of bringing II he
fore Tho public and creating an en-
lighiened public sentiment which
viii support the necessary legislation
'or the control of the problem
"Jhe object OF my talk today is TO
give you few elementary points re-
snrciinr TIE feeble-minded What
they are how they are classified how
their mental state may be determined.
now the problem may be solved.
Feehle-mindedness is a state OF men
tai defect from birth or from an early
ago in consequence OF which the per
s0l affected is unable 10 perform his
duties as member OF society
idiots. Imbeciles. Morons Until
recently in America and still IN Eng
land and her dependencies the term
feeble-minded is used specifically as
we'll as generically and in that sense
, is applied to the group above imbe-
, Giles. This double use of the word
/ has led 10 much confusion so that in
America the term Moron is now used
10 designate the group above imbe-
Giles.
Idiots are characterized by their
inability 10 communicate with their
fellows by means Of speech. They
are also said TO have a mental devel'
opment of a child two years old or
% under
"Imbeciles begin in mental deFel
% opment where idiots leave Off They
% cannot be taught to read or write
- Their mental development is that OF
T. child seven years old or under
4 I'VE recognize three grades Of i'm
s becility. the low, middle AMI high
G grade. The low grade imbecile uses
r language as does a chile just begin
v ming to talk. The middle Grade i'm
+ beetles can use sentences and alsC
learn to make baskets, brushes, etc.
and the use of tools. On the farm
they can be utilized for work tha
can be done mechanically without re
!, auiring Thought OF individual initia
=, tive What mas been said Of the mid
y die grade imbecile is also true o
Y the higher grade only to a fuller ex
o tent
There are three methods of diagnosing
e mental defect: J. The medical method
,. The pedagogical method. 3. Ih
psychological method.
l. The medical method deals with bodil,
s signs and defects kno'~n as stigmata
sometimes called "stigmata Of degener
" acy." These include reformation Of tn
Uranium. protruding or dropping lowe
Jaw. defective or protruding ear-lobei
l. dwelling subnormal temperature Of tn
n body, dull expression of the counte
re nance etc.
le The pedagogical method deals wit
" the ability of the child TO acquire sue
L knowledge as is taught in the schools
al Il is today considered that any chi
al three years retarded in the grades
~ probably fceble-minded. If more tha
W three years then the diagnosis is almo'
r certain this of course when the caus
70 is not illness or ignorance OF the lai
is glage or other causes wholly foreign
Ia the intelligencel.
~ ~ r. may be stated here that the prov
y. ince' Of the special class should be
,I give added facilities to those bacSwar
~ children where mental defect has nc
already been certainly diagnosed,
, this way Justice will be rendered TO eaC
u child As soon, however, as mental d
IL feet is certainly determined the speci
p class should be relieved of the burde
ne he child should be passed on TO q
10 training school where his education Y
I'D the segregated life 10 which he is de
re tined may at once be begun.
I'd Under pedagogical method must all
1r be considered the lessons OF problem
b. placed in our way by life itself; Il
d. after all the supreme test Of the INTEL
le . nouco is IL reaction 70 life
II I'm the absence OF Miss Mary r Ric
nd who was 10 have presented the repol
ly Of the Arts and Crafts Committe
this morning. the report Of the Stat
Civics and Health Committee was rea
by the chairman, Mrs. Selden
H. Deemer.
in Miss Heydrick. president, announce
%. the biennial convention of the Gener
at Federation of Womcn's Clubs, which W
.Iv be held in the Seventh Regiment \
Al mory. in New York city, from May
"a 10 June >. She read great deal of G
~, planatory literature concerning this 60
" vention, which number Of Delawa
q. club women will attend.
~ An invitation was extended the del
ne gates by Professor A. II. Berlin to ]
MS spcct the High School
up The report Of the credentials col
he mittee announced that - delegates al
tie 22 executive committee members We
lat present.
=