The dispatch-news. [volume] (Lexington, S.C.) 1919-2001, 1922-05-03

feeblemineed, the psychopathic and
neurotic, the epileptic and the child
with speech defect. All Of these pre-
sent very different problems and re-
ouire special training, each according
to his peculiar abnormalty. To refuse
or to deny the child Of this training is
to heap up upon the already existing
burdens carried by the state. For the
child of today does not remain SO
forever. as he is the man of tomorrow
he must be trained when still a chllo
50 that he will ever be ready TO take
on the ever increasing responsibilities
of the adult. This training is ms
bv birthright, and the more the alb
normal the individual the greater the
duty OF the state to provide the speclai
training needed, duty both to the
child and to the state.
A study of our institutions through
ont the state show what large pen
a,itv the state pays when she neglects
these unfortunates when they were
children. Time does not permit
discussion of all, or many Of causes OF
dependency or delinquency so for tha1
reason we will consider very briefly
the greatest, single, causative factor
namely Feeblemindedness.
Predetermined is a condition OF
mental arrest existing from blrth or
earlv childhood due to which the in
dividual cannot carry on the affairs OF
life with ordinary prudence. There are
three groups OF the feeblemlnded:
one who never has mental
ee over that Of about a two year old
child and because of this lack OF de-
ve,onrnent is unable to protect ltseH
from the ordinary dangers of lfe' IS
unable to feed, clothe or bathe ltsel1
and consequently is always hospital
ease. The IMBECILE-is one who,
no matter how old in years never mas
a mental age of that of a seven year
old child: these individuals can pro-
tect themselves from the ordinary
dangers but cannot be made self sup
,,ortine The MORON-is one who no
matter how old in years never has a
mentality greater than the average
eleven or twelve year old child; such
an individual can both protect NM
self from the ordinary dangers OF lie
and can be self supporting but cannot
carry on the affairs Of life with ordl-
nary prudence. This later group Is
the most important one of the feeble
minded because they are very fre-
ouently never recognized by the laity
as feebleminded and as result are
allowed to put themselves into situa-
tons where they become great dan
ger and expense to the community.
For the condition of feebleminded-
ness there is no cure and in two thirds
Of the cases it is due to heredity, /.
e. it.. is handed on from parent to
child. This combination of facts
makes the feebleminded problem
most serious one when we again re-
call that they are especially prolific
and reproduce their kind with greater
frequency than do normal individuals
and through this reproduction pro-
vide an almost endless chain of Off
spring which are drain on the re-
sources Of any community.
A study of our penal and correction
al institutions shows that between %
per cent and 35 per. cent. Of the in
mates are feebleminded; that as high
as so per cent. of the inmates Of aims
houses are feebleminded; that as high
as 62 per cent. of the delinquent girls
are feebleminded.
It is we'll to remember in this con-
nection, as pointed out by DR.. Walter
Fernald, that in most cases there need
be no delinquency nor dependency in
the feebleminded if he is recognized
early enough and then properly train
ed according to his peculiar capacity
to learn, and these methods are not
those of the ordinary class room. 1t
is when the state does not provide
special training for this group that
she is soon called upon to care for
them in the most costly way possible
in her corrective and penal institu-
tions, in her almshouses and in her
venerial clinics; methods that are
most costly because they offer no per
,,,aoa+ ,.o1;of from tho SitDa+iOn for