The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1919-03-20

annual meeting Of the Florida Med |
, ical Association at Tampa, May
1916. 1879
The epileptic and feeble-minded
have much in common. Nearly all
epileptics are feehle-minded, becom-
ing more and more so as they grow
older, the exception being the small
percentage that, under proper sur
roundings and treatment react In
some way and have the seizures less
often, less severe, or cessation OF
them. Those whose mentality prop
erly tested, shows retardation OF
three years, or difference of three
years between their age and mental
growth, under circumstances favor
able to normal development, or
grown persons having mentality
equal to that of a normal child of
ten years, are termed feeble minded.
In the matter of care and treatment
they may consistently be considered
together
Believing that the welfare OF this
class of patients already has the at
tention Of every progressive medical
man, and actuated by desire to
stimulate fuller consideration Of
modern methods of handling such de-
fectives in our State present this
paper instead of one more strictly
medical.
Careful study Of the epileptic and
feeble-minded shows that in common
they ~ lack self-control, and for
this reason yield easily to tempta-
ton; (2) usually fail to earn an in
dependent living and drift easily in.
to immortality and crime; 90 often
become objects of charity and State
wards; (4 transmit their defects
from parent to child; (5) have an un-
usually high birth rate among them
in the absence Of proper moral guild
ance, complicating every social prob
! lem; (6) seldom if ever become nor
NAL; (O require individual training
in which hand--not head-work must
be emphasized; (S) both need proper
institutional care,
Since the right method of caring
for them eventually costs less than
neglect, and at the same time assures
to them the privilege Of living hap
pier lives, many of them useful lives
!; the well-being of these unfortunate
ones becomes medical problem,
meriting our careful consideration
Taking the lowest figures men
toned, there are two epileptlcs and
three feeble-minded persons to each
thousand. This would give Florida
little less than 5000 such detectives.
OF these. fully 1000 are women OF
collaborating age. At least 1900 are
INDECENT and supported by city, coun-
ty or State,
II More than half of the States in the
Union have made appropriate pro
visions for the INDECENT epileptic pop
ulation within their borders, and only
sixteen remain that have not pro-
| vided the necessary facilities to care
for and train their feeble-ninded.
! Florida does not have the distinction
of being on the honor roll in either
count, only to the extent that IL eth
or of these two classes show distinct
tendencies to crime, are convicted OF
crime, or are committed as insane
they have such custodial care as our
: State is able to give at the institu-
D tions at 0cala, Mariana and Chatta-
Z hoochee.
4 On May /, 1918, there were at the
I Florida Hospital for the Insane 14S
q / CpHCptlSS uuu lOo lcGDlcIuluutu pa
4 tents mot including idiots). They
Z are getting the best treatment that
! the crowded conditions will permit.
J but why should they be kept there
I when they can be cared for at less
4 expense in an institution especially
! suited to their needs? Should they
3 not have the same consideration,
: chance and opportunity for training
as our deaf. dumb and blind? It Is
evident that those of our State who
arei interested in these patients are
beginning to ask such questions and
plan for improvement for them. In
1915 commission was created by the
legislature of Florida to investigate
the need of an institution for the in
digent epileptic and feeble-minded
So much information was obtained as
result of the investigation inau-
gurated by the commission, that a
,As II :