Daily Kennebec journal., 1918-02-15


crate offspring"
Our problem then is the
Transformation of the transform
able portion of the various kinds
Of feebleminded into such limited
productivity as is possible. Let it
be understood that no one contem-
plates any inhuman or coercivc
measures. No one suggests that in
valids be required 10 work. Education
and training in good habits of thought
and industry during the formative per-
iod from infancy to adolescence GO
wears roughly) and the denial of par
enthood to the unfit are the humane
and civilized and civilizing means at
our disposal What is needed for the
accomplishment of this purpose? Some
new legislation, the organization Of
available forces, and before all ,hc
formulation Of a plan of action are he
necessary clements Not much in I'll"
way of additional institutions or the
expenditure of additional money will he
required apparently. and after tie
present generation has passed; if We
do our work we'll. the expenditures
must shrink rapidly.
in utiizin. the available energy Of GER
tam of our dependents lies in the fact
that habit may be turned to good ac-
count in lieu of mental integrity. The
defective individual habituated 10 work
throughout youth continues to be IN
economic industrial asset, under super
vision, throughout his active life. We
see all about us examples of detectives
whose h@blts Of Incidence arc now fixed
ana for that reason these cannot now
he made productive units. They may
at least be denied parent hood for the
benefit Of future generations. TO illus
trate: a young hoodlum of somewhat
suhnormai mental equipment. proha by,
is in the habit of amusing himself and
loafing. Left to seek his desires orl",
he becomes vicious and n priSoncr.
That boy kept at such advancement rs
he could make and trained to WORK
every day till habits of industry are
formed will always be occupied; if the
needed oversight be given him ana
could become an efficient farm laborCr.
No ono expects to do away with feeble .
mindedncSs or dependency wholly, but (,
on the other hand the numbers of the !
dependent feebleminded may he re-
duccd to small fraction in a genera
ton.
The problem Of tho foebleminded
woman Of child bearing age. the onus
of All public charitable organiza ioas /
is part and parcel of our proposal to
diminish degencrcy and dependency. /
Some of these are mothers of one. two. |
three and even more illcSitmate chill
Il ;,,
fection. This ono consideration alone. !
that controlling feeblemiudedncss !
would act as A check upon social I'M
mortlity and the spread Of vcnerea!
diseases, as nothing else promises &"
do. is sufficient reason fur our acting
"a secure the mental integrity of woIn- !
en- and girls"
Eighty percent Of feeble /
m!ndcdneSs is inherited. In it's techni- !
caiities this problem is a medical one; .
since the diagnosis and disposal of |
cases require the skill and authority ,
of highly qualified central advisory
and executive staff; vet the violosic. /
economic and soclologic bearings Of |
dependency occtSioncd mainly ny |
ffeblcrnindcdnCSS are 50 important that
tn" whole of tho public is involved Vi !
tally and public interest and action
must back and remedial measures that
can ha devised
on" definite principle at the founda I
tion "f our planning for the uplft and
flnal dminution of our dependents is
expressed in the truism that real bone /
fit consists in enabling rather than III
hcAoWat. We must devise |
ways Of enabling our dependents to
help Themselves.
After our late civil war no attempt I.
was made to restore the war worn
veterans TO economic usefulness No
attempt has anywhere been made is do
tins. Has it not occurred to you that I
besides the many veterans who found
a place unaided in efficient economic
society on their return, there must have
been many others who needed stimula-
ton md expert assistance in rehabi- ,
tilati!g t::emselves' The government !
assisted as much as possible: but still
some who relied solely on their pen
Slons and government provision need
not have done so"
After this war the plan Of the Ma
tiunal Committee for mental hygiene
IS 70 provide competent medical ad rica
ana supervision so that every veteran
capable OF even limited usefulness shall
De restored 20 productivity, and habit
lal inValidiSm he, avoided so far d
possible. Canada is already at work On
this problem and occupation is taught
to the blind and the deaf and the .
MANNED and those incapacitated by !
she'll shock. The Canadians are doing
. wonderful work III this line and not
the least useful part is the mental
restoration that comes to the veterans
in the form of renewed hope and hap
pineSS in useful occupation. This effort
for the conservation Of human energy
is the only means in sight of meeting
the present greatly increased deman1
for competent human energy caused
by the war 1t is, moreover, in the
highest degree humane and progress
i've,
provision at the American base hos
pitfalls somewhere in France for the care
of soldiers suffering from shell shoHk
and other psyche -neuroses and from
all other forms of mental disease VIII
be the most complete and up 70 the
minute known and, be II remarked,
never anywhere before has any IKE
effort been attempted TO conserve hu-
man energy. This work AT the front
and that projected with returned IN