480 



MEMOIRS NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 



[Vol. XV, 



talions, the army would have profited by the separation of these relatively inefficient soldier 

 rom its combatant units. 



Sample results of the work of the psychologist detailed at the request of the psychiatric 

 survey commission at Camp Lee were summarized as follows: 



Mental age 



Number of cases. 



Above 10 



76 



The psychologist reported further concerning the nature of the work: 



It is interesting to note, however, that psychopathic cases have also been referred to determine the extent and 

 nature of intellectual deterioration. Some cases of suspected hysteria, dementia pracox, aphasia, epilepsy, paresis, 

 psychopathic personality, and constitutional inferiority have also been referred. * * * The development of such 

 cooperation seems to be the most significant feature of the recent plan of detailing a psychologist to work with the 

 psychiatric commission. 



We have stated above that the expected service of psychologists with reference to low- 

 grade men was completed when they had referred these men to the psychiatrist. However, 

 their recommendation concerning disposition was requested so frequently that it became a 

 matter of routine to indicate what seemed the best way of handling each case individually 

 examined. It was to be expected that closer agreement between the findings of the psychol- 

 ogist and those of company commanders would exist than existed between psychiatrists and 

 psychologists, for the pressure on medical men to retain all men with any possibility of becoming 

 soldiers did not extend in the same way to psychologist and company commander. These 

 reported only on their findings. The support given the psychiatrist by determinations of 

 mental age and reports of inaptitude from company commanders aided him quite materially 

 in reducing the number of mentally deficient ineffectives in the Army. 



A sample distribution will nevertheless indicate that many men passed on into the Army 

 who were below the mental age levels previously set as minima for adequate social functioning 

 in civil life. Of this total given below, 85 are known to have been discharged. No data are 

 at hand on the disposition or the success, if still ha the Army, of the 747 others. 



Table 143. 



1 Cases where only an estimate was made and no full examination given. 



Of these cases 52 per cent are below 9 years mental age and 39.3 per cent below 8. In 

 terms of the total number of men examined (26,415) 1J per cent are below 9 and 0.9 per cent 

 below 8. Only 85 of the number given individual examination were promptly discharged — 

 less than 0.3 per cent of the total camp population and only 20 per cent of those below 9 years 

 mental age. This result is typical of what is known to have occurred in the four cantonments 

 hi the fall of 1917. It also presents specifically the importance of the problem of the low-grade 

 man in the Army organization. 



Section 7. — Group tests for literates. 



Two principal considerations caused the camp examiners to discontinue the use of exami- 

 nation b. The continued pressure for speed and fewer recalls made it advisable to simplify 

 the procedure and hasten the delivery of reports to company commanders and to all other 

 officers concerned. Results were demanded the day after examination. It became clear that 



