Mental Disease and Defect 



17 



affectionate regard. Because this moron may be able to pass for 

 normal to the casual observer, he is all the more dangerous as a 

 member of society. He is defective and hence lacks judgment, 

 moral stamina, and decision. He is a prey to the unprincipled 

 exploiter who misuses him. He may become a criminal and be 

 punished as such, only to become a "repeater" when released to 

 life in society once more. 



The study of the relation of mental defectiveness to juvenile and adult 

 delinquency has been carefully studied only in the last few years, and 

 various statistics have been published showing that a considerable number 

 of the delinquents now in institutions are mentally defective. There is 

 such a variation in these statistics, however, that no conservative figure 

 can be quoted at the present time. Individual cases here and there, how- 

 ever, show that there is a close correlation between mental defectiveness 

 and delinquency.^ 



When a child's defect is hereditary from one or both parents, this defect 

 is usually increased and exaggerated by his lack of early training and the 

 unwholesome environmental conditions which are apt to exist in the 

 home. Such parents are unqualified to rear their offspring by reason of 

 their own mental subnormality.* 



The defective should be committed thru court to institutional 

 care for life. He can then be cared for and, whenever possible, 

 trained in such a way as to make him a useful member of the 

 community of which he is a part. He will not be able to pass 

 his defect down to succeeding generations, nor will he be as likely 

 to commit crime or indulge in vice. 



Some one lately and aptly has said that the mental defectives include 

 the 2 per cent of the general population lowest in the scale of intelligence. 

 This is near the truth, and being so, the burden of their care should not 

 stagger the 98 per cent, or normal population, nor would it, if systematically 

 or thoroughly done.'' 



However, if institutional care is prescribed, adequate institu- 

 tions for the purpose must be provided and all defectives removed 

 from other state and county institutions. The accompanying 

 table (I) of mental defectives in institutions in Indiana on Sep- 

 tember 30, 1916, shows the deplorable situation regarding the 

 feeble-minded. 



3 Report of Committee on Mental Defectives in Indiana, November 10, 1916, 

 "Mental Defectives in Indiana", p. 24. 

 * Dr. Charles P. Neu, Indianapolis. 



« Report of Committee on Mental Defectives in Indiana, November 10, 1916. 

 "Mental Defectives in Indiana", p. 3. 



