Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1919-04-03
FEEBLE MINDED
CITIZENS ARE
ON The INCREASE

The increasing amount Of feeble
mindedness in this state is becoming
alarming; Wisconsin now stands
ninth among the states in care pro-
lvided for degenerates and imbeciles.
land is falling farther behind every
year, says the report of the state con
ference of social work, formerly> the
state conference of charities and cor
rection which is cooperating with the
central council of social agencies, the
state department of instruction and
| the board of control in an endeavor
to stop immortality and degeneracy.
lacy.
An exhibit is being made at Madi-
son and the legislature is asked for
$250,000 to aid in controlling and cree
ton of building at Union Grove.
The state department of public in
structiOn announces that of 456,5S4
pupils in the public schools of Wis
consin 1868 are feeble-minded. 1t is
estimated that three of every 1000
, population are affected by mental dis
orders Using this as basis there
are approximately 100000 persons so
affected in the United States. The
department says that seven per cent
of the public school children in the
cities are feeble minded. 1t reports a
clinical examination in ten cities and
finds that the population of those
cities 557 children are seriously re-
tarded mentally
Last June the surgeon general of
the United States stated that out of
every $50 Wisconsin men examined
for military service and discharged or
recommended for discharge because
OF mental defects, I3 per cent were
feebleninded, 10 per cent insane,
s per cent were epileptics, per
cent chronic alcohol users and the
remaining 81 per cent victims of cere-
bro spinal syphilis, neurosthenia, hys-
terra and other mental disorders.
The big problem today it that so per
cent of these men are at large in the
state and that only 20 per cent are
cared for. The menace of such persons
is only estimable when such an in
stance as the following is noted. This
case has been traced back to the mar
rage of Martin Halifax. a revolution
airy soldier to a feeble-minded girl. Out
of the nine children one was feeble
minded child and from that child
have sprung 480 defendants. Eighty
two of these died in infancy, &c were
illegitimate, SO sex offenders, 143
feeble-minded, four drunkards. three
epileptics, three criminals and eight
keepers of houses of ll-fame.
Unless cared for in an institution
supported by the state these charac-
tiers are big public expense. Massa-
chusettes reports case of a feeble
minded mother and nine children
which cost the state $4,000 in SO
years.
Feeble mindedness is inherited. The
average predetermined mother bears
twice the number of children of the
normal mother The disease is per
manent and incurable state Of mental
defect existing from birth Of early age
and the persons SO alecLeO can never
adapt themselves to normal society.
The feeble minded lack judgment and
resistance to evil influences. 1t is
claimed that they constitute every
known social problem.
The only answer to this awful con
dition is prevention. Prevention
means segregation and segregation
means state care The department of
public instruction says that special
classes should he held for the mental
ly deficient with not more than Is to
a class and instructed by special
teacher. both for their own sakes and
for the best interests OF the normal
and superior children.