The Washington times., 1933-06-30
By JOAN CLAYTON
Secrets OF
Health
BY Louis E. Bisch, MD, Ph.D.
Famous Authority on Health
and Psychology

characteristics Of the Moron
The term moron" is often
employed in everyday language
as a designation Of disparage-
ment. Actually moron" means
a feeble-minded state.
When science says feeble
minded" it literally implies a
mind that is enfeebled, not
from old age to be sure, but
enfeebled from birth. And this
mind weakness is actually due
to organic causes, to fewer
brain cells and to cells i'm
perfectly developed.
According to the famous
Binet-Simon measuring scale Of
intelligence moron is one who
measures from eight to IL
years mentally no matter what
his physical, chronological age
may be. Morons, in other
words, may be nearly normal"
AS children it may be difficult
to detect their defects. When
they reach adult years, how
ever, they not only think and
act like children but like chill
dren who are not in possession
of all their faculties.
Under favorable circumstances
morons may be able to earn
their own livings. They may
use language we'll, they may be
social; they may even make
friends readily and be liked.
They are devoid Of sound rea-
Soning, however, have a faulty
imagination, and in the ability
to deduce logically they are
quite deficient.
Morons are often confused with
mentally retarded individuals:
that is, with those who develop
normally but at a slower pace
than average. Especially may
this be the case during child
hood. A retarded person, how
ever, finally catches up, so to
speak; moron never does.
It is highly important that
morons be always kept under
some sort of supervision. Tha
reason for this is that the vast
majority of ther1 are easily led.
This renders them a prey to un-
Scrupulous and criminal individ-
uals. In fact, many of our habit
ual criminals are recruited from
the moron class.
In olden times, particularly
during the Middle Ages; the
fools and testers in the castles
Of the great were feeble-minded
persons. Inasmuch as they usu-
ally were glib of tongue and
given to what we modernS call
"Wisecracks," it must have been
that the majority were morons.
These individuals were even re-
garded with a kind of fear and
Superstitious reverence. They
we're held to be endowed some
how with peculiar powers con-
nected with the awesome un.
known.
There are cases where Ger.
tain brain faculties are un.
usually we'll developed and at
the expense, it would seem, Of
all the others. An unusual bent
for arithmetic may be in evi.
dence, revealing itself in ability
to do "lightning calculations
the adding up of long columns
Of figures and the like-or
such a defective one may paint
or draw or model with skill
akin to that of a genius
although essentially feeble
minded in all other respects.
Many morons are in exist
ence who have never been dag
nosed or even recognized as
being mentally defective. This
is particularly true as regards
children.
It would be an excellent
thing, indeed, if every indi.
vidual were compelled to I'M
dergo a series of mental tests.
It surely would prevent many
Of life's tragedies.
DIR. Bisch's Daily Diet Hint
Berries of all kinds are
wholesome but not especially
nutritious. Their greatest con-
tent is water, which varies from
IS to 80 per cent of the whole.
The average carbohydrate con-
tent is about IL per cent. OF
fat there is practically none.
and of protein, about 11a per
cent. Some persons, however.
have an idiosyncrasy for certain
berries, such as Strawberries.
which may produce a rash or
otherwise upset digestion.
(CopyriRht 1888 King Features