The Defective Classes . 
185 
tion for the average American treatment of the defective classes to reach 
the standard set for pauperism by the charity organization societies, for 
crime by Elmira and Concord, and for insanity by the Wisconsin system 
of care for the chronic insane. 
Our measures of treatment of the defective classes sometimes increase 
the very evil we meant to cure. Poor relief, instead of relieving pauperism, 
very often increases it. Insane asylums seem to increase the number of 
insane, prisons of criminals. This, however, is not a necessity of the cure, 
but only an incidental evil, which needs to be guarded against. We must 
also allow that our humane methods of treatment, in addition to the good 
effects which they have, do also tend to increase the number of defective 
classes, by prolonging their lives and by making their lot a more desirable 
one. I have already mentioned the accumulation of insanity by the mere 
prolongation of life in the insane in civilized countries. It is still a ques¬ 
tion whether this does not sufficiently account for the greater number of 
insane in civilized over savage countries. 
Where the insane are killed as witches or executed as criminals or killed 
by private vengeance or malice or allowed to die by neglect, and where 
only the robust can survive the hardships and perils of life in any case, it 
is not wonderful that the insane existing at any given time are few. So 
also with pauperism. If no poor relief is given there will be no paupers, 
for some will starve and others will steal. But crime seems to decrease 
with milder punishment, whether these are the cause of the decrease or 
only a result of the general civilization of society which is reducing both 
crime and punishments alike. It is also true that we discover and do 
something from a large number of cases now who would not be known as 
defectives under a less perfect administration of government. This is one 
of the causes of the increase of insanity, as I have already said. Crime is 
more completely looked after and things are called crime now which 
would not have been called so a few years ago. 
But on the whole I believe that the measures we are taking to treat the 
defective classes are really reducing the numbers. For one thing, we keep 
them shut up in institutions, where they are not allowed to propagate their 
kind, or to practice or teach their vices. A notable exception to this is the 
county jail system, where prisoners are herded together in idleness to con¬ 
stitute schools of crime and vice. Our methods do also cure many of the 
defectives. About one-fourth of the insane are permanently cured. From 
half to two-thirds of the criminals are never convicted a second time. 
Many paupers and tramps do finally drop back into society again. It is of 
course a struggle which may be made to appear to be tending one way or 
the other according as we are optimistic or pessimistic in the best of our 
own minds. But I take the side of the optimist and believe that we are 
graduall y healing up these ulcers upon society. 
The best sign of the future is that public sentiment and legislation is 
steadily tending in the direction of prevention as well as of cure. Some 
