Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1922-07-06
Moron Mems Plair Fool"

nate person OF no1Oluy CIIHilHd'
is defined in a bulletin .
issued by the State Charities Aid AS
sociation of New YORK.
Moron" they say, comes from the
Greek "moros" meaning "fool." And
the word, as applied By psychiatrists
and mental specialists, means just that
fool.
1t is not applied to insane persons,
to lunatcs, imbeciles or idiots, but to
the considerable percentage of popula-
ton whose limited reasoning power
places them on the great border-line
of mental deficiency.
Before the word "moron" came into
general use such persons were called
detectives. They were those who, if
left to shift for themselves, usually be-
came liabilities to society"
Figuring from statistics gathered by
army draft boards the state association
estimates that there are $4,000 mental
detectives -morons-in New York
State today. This would indicate, says
the report, that one person in every
$50 is mentally deficient and incapable
of passing sound judgments as to what
is right or wrong.
OF this number $500 are in State
institutions; 500 are in colonies attach
ed to such institutions; and $500 are
enrolled in special classes in public
schools. This leaves some $1,000 with
out any special supervision-at large
in all walks Of life. Describing the
defective, the charities association
says:
"He is often unable to adjust him
self to permanent employment and is
habitually changing his job. He is
tremendously responsive to sugges-
ton and is thus particularly susceptible
to the criminal influence of others.
"Nearly all the attempts at assas-
sination of prominent men in recent
years and of criminal assaults with a
sexual phase have been the work of
mental defcients. A moron killed
President Mckinley and another tried
to kill Roosevelt. A moron tried to
kill Mayor Mitchell and shoot Corpora
ton Counsel Polk. Mayor Gaynor was
shot by another defective"
There is distinct difference between
mental deficiency and insanity, it is
pointed out. They have little in COM
mon. Insanity is mental disease
which is durable in at least per cent
of cases and preventable in 40 per
cent
A moron or mental defective is a
person who definitely lacks brain ca
pacity. The condition is inherited and
cannot be cured, for, say the psychiat.
rists, Science cannot add what nature
has omitted" In other words, an adult
moron is just man or woman with the
brain of a child.
The schools are considered the best
detectives. There he is automatically
separated from the children Of norma
intelligence. Perhaps he progresses
to the sixth grade without displaying
! any lack of the power to absorb know.
ledge. Then he falls behind. He
doesn't seem able to learn any more
his classmates go on, while he remains
vainly trying to absorb his lessons, but
without success.
Should he continue in school at this
time the chances are he will become
an incorrigblc-the sort of ovcr-growr
bully who far outstrips his playmates
in size and strength, bat who is the
! dwarf in the school-room. Or if he
leaves school he IS apt to Join tine class
of easily-led criminals, unguded BY
any sense Of right or wrong. wholly
irresponsible, who 60 from misdemcan-
or to fciony and thence 10 the electric
chair or to Mdttewan.
At the period of arrested develop.
ment psychiatrlSts claim to be able to
pick out the detectives by their re-
action TO certain simple questions, in
cluded in the Binet-Simon measuring
scale OF intelligence In the vocabu-
larry fest the examiner may say:
81 want to find out how many words
you know. Listen, and when | saw q
word you tell me what it means" Ths
word nerve" comes early in the test
Although it is understood that to de.
fine the physical organism is a matter
for the adult mind, it has found that
the normal child of sight years VII,