Henderson daily dispatch., 1938-09-12

Cases Reach
To New High

Raleigh, Sept. 12-If eugenical steri-
lizations for the last SIX months Of
1898 keep pace with those reported up
to June 30, this year bids fair to sur
pass 1885, when feeble-minded and
mentally diseased persons in North
Carolina undergoing operations reach
ed a nine-year high of s178.
Reports reaching r. Eugene Brown
secretary of the North Carolina Eu-
genics Board, showed 102 operations
performed for the first half of 1888,
Iwenty-six under the total for the
entire twelve month period of 1887.
All but five of kt>1128 sterilization
operations undergone by the feeble
minded and mentally diseased of the
State last year were consent cases In
which the parents, guardian, or mex.
of kin of the patient gave written
consent to the procedure!
Members of the state board as it is
at present constituted are Mrs. W..
T. Bost, commissioner of public wei
fare; DR.. Carl v. Reynolds, secretary
of the State Board of Health; DR.. j..
w. Ashby, superintendent of the
State Hospital in Raleigh; Harry Nc
Mullan, attorney general, and DR.. f..
NJ. Register superintendent of the
Caswell Training School at Kinston.
From 1889 through 1887, a total o..
518 sterilI- atoms have been perform
ed, 246 of the number having been
persons between the ages of 10 to
10, and ia being 20 to 20 years old.
The total is divided SO males and 432
females.
Two hundred and ninety-four of the
nine-year total of 518 cases were in
mates of state institution, 1874 being
private cases, while 80 have been in
mates of county institution at the
time of the operations.
Ninety-eight of the total have been
epileptics, 118 insane persons, while
the majority of the cases have been
-seSble-minded with 302 listed in this
class up to the first of the year
North Carolina first went into the
practice of sterilization of it's mental
defective in 1929, following part OF
the procedure of other states, some
of which adopted the practice as far
back as 1909. In February 1888, the
1929 act was held unconstitutional by
he state Supreme Court. s
While the 1919 General Assembly
passed an act intended to serve as a
sterilization measure, as far as can
De ascertained no operations were
performed under it's provisions.
The state board is now operating
Under the act of the 1888 legislature
s amending during the two succeed
ing sessions, with right of appeal to
he courts established under the new
procedure.
Unaer the North Carolina law it is
The duty of the Superintendent OF
Public Welfare and the heads of pub
&c Charitable and penal institutions
o petition the Eugenics Board fpr
fertilization of any mentally diseased
spileptic, or feeble-minded person
When in the opinion of such official
It is. to the best interest Of the
nental, moral, or physical improve
nent of the patient.
It is for the public good.
The patient would be likely to pro
reate child having the same men
tai deficiency.
When requested in writing by the
,uardian, parent or next of kin Of the
,atient to have the operation per
formed.
Complete medical and social histcr
IS of the patient are required td be
lied with the Eugenics Board before
caring is held on the case.
Whenever possible in the North
Jarolina procedure, and it has been
rue in the vast majority of the ope
ations to date, desexing of the pat
emit is avoided since modern methods
preventing sprocreation without re-
loval of any organ or glands OF the
| ody is the practice followed.
A missionary renortS finding a ma