126 



The Journal of Heredity 



THE ''CASUIST" TEST. 



Properly to fit into their ijluees tlie blocks of this frame requires the intelligence of a normal 

 12-'year-old child. He should be able to do it in five minutes, or less, without making any 

 mistakes that are not reasonable. At an older age, he should be able to do it in eorre- 

 si)ondingly less time. (Figure 14.) 



ing the signs and manifestations, how 

 may the\' best be elucidated and brought 

 out in order to make a proper (hagnosis 

 and certificate? This is probably best 

 accomplished by a graduated system of 

 performance tests, accurately stand- 

 ardized, and a system of test questions 

 of increasing complexity suited to the 

 age, education and ])revious environ- 

 ment of the subject. The examining 

 physicians are guided first of all l)y 

 plain common sense, enthusiasm and 

 personal feelings never entering into the 

 consideration of any case. It is well 

 for the sake of justice to the country 

 and to the immigrant that this is so. 

 The functions of the officers of the 

 Public Health Service are ])urely ad- 

 visory and not legal. Their duty is 

 done when the ])roper certificate has 

 been rendered; the i)e()i)le should not 

 hold them responsible therefore if de- 

 fectives are often admitted notwith- 

 standing adverse certificates. 



This is as important ])crha])s in the 



case of the insane as in the case of defec- 

 tives and it is probably true that a 

 great number of alien insane would not 

 have become so had they not come to 

 America. Such people are not fitted 

 to become citizens of this country, 

 although they may get along very well 

 at home. 



.MANY INSANE CONCEALED. 



It is probably true that the number 

 of alien insane in the country is much 

 larger than is generally supposed; 

 in other words there are alien insane 

 who never find their way to hospitals, 

 their relatives knowing that if they do 

 they are liable to be deported. Onh- the 

 very dangerous and noisy insane reach 

 the ])ublic instittilions. The sim])le 

 netiroses and milder forms of insanity 

 remain at home in the care of their 

 countrymen and friends, who, because 

 of race jjride or for other reasons do not 

 wish the amount of insanity and disease 

 11k-\- harlior to become known. 



