Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-11-22
BY THOMAS Z. HENRY.

literature, ana II may become a psyche
logical classic. In any event, as point
ed out in the accompanying letter from
Mrs. Edith Sutherland Elmore CALM
ger Hospital psychologist, concerning
whose opinions considerable misunder-
standing has arisen because of lay at
temptS to interpret rather difficult ma
terial, it is not a matter to be settled
by any snap Judgment
1t was learned at the office of the
superintendent of the hospital yester-
day that very distinguished American
psychiatrist had beep engaged to study
the little girl, whose pathetic story has
aroused the sympathy of all Washing
ton during the past two weeks. It also
was learned that neurological exam
ination had not disclosed anything out
of the ordinary
Gallinger off1S!als are not willing to
release the results already obtained
from measurements of the child's intel
ligence. In tie first place, they say,
1t Is not ethical to release material con-
corning anybody'S intelligence unless
the material is demanded by a court.
A psychologists relations with a pa
tlent are exactly as confidential as
physicians, and the fact that the little
girl cannot help herself does not change
the ethics of the situation.
All the reports which have been pub
lished concerning the child's mental
status, it was insisted, have been based
on chance scraps of information gath
cred by persons with no professional
knowledge on which to interpret them.
Those who watch the little girl can
come to their. own conclusions as to
whether she is feeble minded or not,
but conclusions based on chance obser-
vations are of no more validity in a case
OF mental retardation than in case Of
polio-myelitis.
Mrs. Elmore said today: Psyche
logical examinations made Immediately
after this child's release from Seclusion
are OF value largely to check back on
when future examinations are given,
not that they will show necessarily
anything like the real content of her
mind, but only what she is willing to
give forth. They certainly cannot be
used as basis for interpreting the
child's intelligence in terms of future
development because Of this important
fact-we have at this time no accurate
information as to what her intelligence
was prior to the alleged isolation. How
she will develop hinges very largely on
this point"
Her Status Stin Undecided.
Edith is weird little figure with her
slightly miSShapen head and sunken
eyes, going rapidly through a picture
book, but hardly looking at any of the
pictures and opening the mail addressed
to her with crude, tearing movements,
only to throw aside instantly the con-
tents. One need not be a psychologist
to tell that there is something wrong
with her, at this time. And one hardly
can avoid the thought that upon that
little head the fierce light Of publicity
may be turned for long time to come
she promises to be such a crucial
figure in the age-old nature versus
nurture controversy which has come
down the ages from Plato and Aris-
totle and RACES as flercely today as ever.
Gallinger officials refuse to talk for
publication until they have something
TO talk about-and 1t can be said con-
hdently that up to the present they
haven't anything juStifying a. profess
Sional opinion. Doubtless she has
showed some improvement, but 1t may
not be much more than could be ex-
of fresh and more agreeable environ
ment. 1t Is the old controversy that
is affording the interest. She may show
little intelligence because she has little
capacity for it. On the other hand,
she may rate low because the things
with which intelligence deals in the
past have been painful to her-and
only as they become pleasant will she
make the normal responses to them.
The point involved, in brief, is this:
Is intelligence an hereditary quality,
largely determined at birth and not
greatly affected by experience? or, Is
it a pSychogenetic thing-a develop
ment through experience of the eff
cheney Of the brain? Advocates of nei-
Their school will be satisfied with a snap
judgment, based on a few tests extended
over few days.
Intelligence Is Wide Term.
It depends on the definition OF in
telligence one is willing to accept and,
secondarily, on the validity Of the In
struments used to measure it.
Intelligence in man may be defined
as the functioning of the cerebral cor
tex-the thick layer Of nerve cell bodies
that lies over the brain like roof over
a house.
1t is connected by millions Of micro
Scopic threads to the outside surface OF
the body. The retina of the eye re-
ceiyes light waves from various objects
faces of persons, letters on printed
page, Western horizons at sunset. Each
light wave that falls on the retlna
causes a chemical action. This causes
an electrochemical impulse to travel
along one of the microscopic threads 10
a specific part Of the cerebral cortex.
Literally thousands or these electro-
chemical impulses, all moving to the
visual area of the cerebral cortex al
most simultaneously, are set up by the
light waves from any object the eye
falls upon. In the cortex they are all
co-ordinated into picture ana the
person sees,
The mere act of seeing, since 1t Is a
function Of the cortex, would probably
be defined as intelligence. Countess
generations in the evolution OF ME
were necessary before any animal had
Intelligence" enough to see. some
species see better than others. Some
see different things than others because
of the difference in the mechanism OF
the eye, admitting different sortS OF
light rays at different angles and hence
setting up different sorts OF impulses 10
the cortex. It is possible that some
animals see better than man, and hence
are more Intelligent" than man, SO Tar
as this particular factor OF intelligence
/ is concerned.
Difference Lies in Thinking.
The same sort of explanation, with
slight variations, holds for the oCner
senses. From the ears sound waves set
up electrochemIcal impulses which go
| to a specific area Of the cortex. From
the tongue go taste impulses, from the
| nose smell impulses, from the SKIN
touch and temperature impulses. From
| these impulses the world OF the 1ndl-
viduals experience is created. So Tar
as man is concerned, it is an act OF In
telligence, depending on the function
1 ing of the corteX, to be aware OF any