122 THE RIGHT TO BE WELL BORN 



Of the insane and deaf, 20% have be- 

 come so from syphilis ; and 50% from alco- 

 holism and heredity. 



Of the blind, 90% have become so from 

 syphilis and gonorrhea and 10% from he- 

 redity. 



This does not cover the many that are 

 not in public institutions or those in private 

 institutions that are not registered. 



This number. Dr. Nevitt, who is now the 

 head of the Elmwood Sanitarium, informs 

 me would be very much larger, but the 

 dreaded "Pellagra" in 1914 affected, es- 

 pecially, defectives and carried off over 

 80% of those affected. It is an hereditary 

 germ disease attacking the brain, bowels 

 and skin and is certainly contagious. 



An interesting case is on record at one of 

 our asylums. Regarding a young married 

 man, insane, the diagnosis of his insanity 

 was given as being due to the poison of 

 syphilis, and yet he did not have the disease. 

 In fact, his life had been above reproach. 

 His father soon followed him to the asylum 

 and the diagnosis of his mental trouble was 

 tke same as that of his son. The father, 



