The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-06-24
DETECTIVES ARE
CALLED 'M0RONS'
Recognition Of Border
Line Class Leads to
Term Adoption

The word moron. used 30 frequent
" of late In describing tho mental
condition OF criminals, is compare
lively new word even In tho vocabu-
lnry OF physicians Taken from the
Greek word moros. meaning fool, II
has been found 10 be convenient
term 10 apply TO the recently recog-
nizcd hurder-llno class OF mentally
deficient persons. While this class ls
not capable uf attaining the average
Intelligence of other persons of tho
same age the mental defects arc
not 30 conspicuous an TO lead to
clnssiflcntiOn among lmbccilcs and
idiots As army dfaft board figures
showed that one person out of every
ESQ Is mentally deficient, a new term
wae badly needed. aud the word mo-
ron has been generally adopted.
The defective. who is left to shift
Tor himself. is usually a liability to
society llo is often unable TO ad-
Just himself TO permanent employ
mcnt. aud is hnbitually changing his
job. He IN tremendously responsive
10 euggestlon. and II thus partlcu.
l1rly susceptible to tho criminal in
fluoncc of others. Nearly all OF the
attempts NJ assassination Of promi-
nena men In recent years and OF
of mental dcficients.
Mental deficiency and insanity are
two entirely distinct problems, ac-
.cordlng 20 tho state Charities Aid
nSsocintlOn's report on the subject,
INSANITY, tho reports point out, can
be cured In 25 per cent OF the cnses
and is preventablo In 40 per cent.
Mental deficiency IL definite lack
or mental capacity and is usually in
hcritod. II cannot be cured as
science cannot add what nature has
omitted.
Children Who Never Grow Tn,
Tho problem OF mental deficiency
IL simplIfied by recognition OF the
fact that adult detectives are chill
dren who have not grown up men.
tally. The solution involves the
throwing of safeguards about the de-
tective similar to those which parents
place around children. The aim OF
social worker IL to secure such
training OF detectives as will enable
them TO learn proper personal and
social habits and support themselves
IN the simpler industrial lines.
Tho sorting OF the subnormnl from
me general population to large ex-
tent can be made to accompIlsh IT.
self automatically In the elementary
schools. IL frequently happens that
n student keeps up with his classes
until he reaches tho sixth grade. At
that stage his companions go ahead
or him. Intelligence tests reveal
that he has reached his mental limit
ana further academic progress Is out
OF inc question. IL is then possible
10 classify him definitely and 10 take
steps that will tend TO prevent him
from becoming q liability TO the
community.
May Make Good workmcn,
The moron is apt TO find in the
monotony OF n routine mechanical
performance n contentment that is
beyond the nervous organization OF
the normal worker. A defective NAV
make the best kind of workman for
a shop engaged In quantity produc-
tion' The rich rewards of Industry
that go with initiative and reason
ing power are not for him, hut he
can be n contented and useful la
borer.
This affinity for routine ia being
put 10 good use by the experts en-
gagged In mental hygiene work and
IN so far as there is success In train
ing detectives to satisfactory eco
nomic adjustments the problems as
attecting the present generation OF
defectives. becomes less menacing.
Ihere remains the problem OF f,i-