i6 



THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



A Pair op African Arabs, awaiting the Medical, Examination. 



York is about 10,000. According to the figures of the last census, 30 

 per cent, of the feeble-minded children in the general population 

 throughout the country are the progeny of aliens or naturalized citizens. 

 Thus the presence of 3,000 of New York's feeble-minded children can 

 safely be laid to immigration. These figures show the extreme neces-, 

 sity of careful medical inspection of immigrants. But there are many 

 complicating factors. It is very difficult to recognize many types of 

 insanity. It is almost impossible to detect feeble-mindedness in infants 

 and young children. Yet in spite of this, the medical officers at Ellis 

 Island are doing thorough and effective work, and do not at all deserve 

 the ignorant criticism of those unfamiliar with the difficulties of that 

 work. 



A point where criticism is unfortunately valid is in the matter of 

 the deportation of aliens who within three years after landing show 

 themselves subject to any of those conditions which the law excludes, 

 or who become public charges from any cause, said condition or cause 



