The Kallikak Family: A Study in the Heredity of Feeble-Mindedness. Henry Herbert Goddard

when she tries, but does not very often try. Does not have much confidence in herself when marking out her work, but when urged, keeps trying until she gets it right. Is making a large dressing case this year. Is doing very nice work, especially in physical culture class.

      May, ’11.—Finished her dressing case, but was careless towards the last, so it is not quite as nice as was expected. Made a very handsome embroidered linen dress (satin stitch and eyelets), also an embroidered corset cover. Made up both pieces under direction. Can write a well-worded story, but has to have more than half the words spelled for her. Knows very few of her number combinations. Retains a great many interesting facts connected with nature work.

      Specimens of Deborah’s Handiwork.

      

      The reader will see that Deborah’s teachers have worked with her faithfully and carefully, hoping for progress, even seeing it where at a later date it became evident that no real advance had been made. Note the oft-repeated “She could if she would,” or “If she would only pay attention,” and similar expressions, which show the unwillingness of the teachers to admit even to themselves that she is really feeble-minded. In the earlier records it was noted that Deborah was not fond of music, while in later reports it is shown to be her one great accomplishment. To-day she is a woman of twenty-two. The consensus of opinion of those who have known her for the last fourteen years in the Institution is as follows:—

      “She is cheerful, inclined to be quarrelsome, very active and restless, very affectionate, willing, and tries; is quick and excitable, fairly good-tempered. Learns a new occupation quickly, but requires a half hour or twenty-four repetitions to learn four lines. Retains well what she has once learned. Needs close supervision. Is bold towards strangers, kind towards animals. Can run an electric sewing machine, cook, and do practically everything about the house. Has no noticeable defect. She is quick and observing, has a good memory, writes fairly, does excellent work in wood-carving and kindergarten, is excellent in imitation. Is a poor reader and poor at numbers. Does fine basketry and gardening. Spelling is poor; music is excellent; sewing excellent; excellent in entertainment work. Very fond of children and good in helping care for them. Has a good sense of order and cleanliness. Is sometimes very stubborn and obstinate. Is not always truthful and has been known to steal, although does not have a reputation for this. Is proud of her clothes. Likes pretty dresses and likes to help in other cottages, even to temporarily taking charge of a group.”

      The children at the Training School write letters to Santa Claus asking for such things as they want for Christmas. Here are Deborah’s requests each year, beginning with ’99, when she was ten years old:—

      “ ’99.—Book and harmonica.

      ’00.—Book, comb, paints, and doll.

      ’01.—Book, mittens, toy piano, handkerchief, slate pencil.

      ’02.—Wax doll, ribbon, music box.

      ’03.—Post cards, colored ribbons, gloves and shears.

      ’04.—Trunk, music box, Fairy Tales, games, ribbons, big doll.

      ’05.—Ribbons of different colors, games, handkerchiefs, music box, Fairy Tales.

      ’06.—Pair of stockings, ribbons, rubbers.

      ’07.—Watch, red ribbon, brush and comb, paper.

      ’08.—Three yards of lawn, rubbers.

      

      ’09.—Nice shoes, pink, dark blue, and white ribbons.

      ’10.—Money for dentist bill.

      ’11.—Rubbers, three shirts, blue scarf, three yards linen, two yards lawn for fancy work.”

      Age 15.

      Age 17.

      Deborah.

      It will be remembered that in her history, number was mentioned as being one of her strong points. Indeed, she had a great deal of thorough drill in this branch. In a recent testing to determine how much of this she still retained, or whether the work had been of any value as mental discipline, the results were negative. It was discovered that she could neither add nor subtract, except where it was a question of concrete objects connected with her daily life. For example, she can set a table and wait on it very nicely. She can put the right number of plates at the head of the table, if she knows the people who are to sit there, but at a table with precisely the same number of strangers, she fails in making the correct count.

      At a recent test made before a prominent scientist, the question was asked, “How many are 12 less 3?” She thought for a moment, looked around the room and finally answered, “Nine.” “Correct,” said her questioner. “Do you know how I did it?” she asked, delighted at her success. “I counted on my fingers.”

      Some of the questions asked her and her answers are as follows:—

      Q. There are ten people to eat dinner. Seven have eaten. For how many must you keep dinner warm?

      A. Three.

      Q. Suppose you had eight ergographs and sell six. How many would be left?

      A. (after twenty-eight seconds’ pondering). Two.

      Q. Suppose you had eight Deltas and gave two away. What would you have left?

      A. Five.

      Q. Suppose there are eight at the table and two leave. How many would remain?

      A. (after thirteen seconds). Six.

      By the Binet Scale this girl showed, in April, 1910, the mentality of a nine-year-old child with two points over; January, 1911, 9 years, 1 point; September, 1911, 9 years, 2 points; October, 1911, 9 years, 3 points. She answers correctly all of the questions up to age 7 except the repetition of five figures, where she transposes two of them. She does not read the selection in the required time, nor does she remember what she reads. In counting the stamps, her first answer was “ten cents,” which she later corrected. Under age 9, none of her definitions are “better than by use”—“Fork is to eat with,” “Chair to sit on,” etc. She can sometimes arrange the weights in their proper order and at other times not. The same is true of putting the three words into a sentence. She does not know money. Her definitions of abstract terms are very poor, in some cases barely passable, nor can she put together the dissected sentences. She rhymes “storm” with “spring,” and “milk” with “mill,” afterwards using “bill,” “will,” “till.”

      In the revised questions, she does not draw the design which is Question 2 in age 10, nor does she resist suggestion, Question 4 in age 12. To the first part of Question 5, age 12, she answered, “A bird hanging from the limb,” and to the second part, “Some one was very sick.”

      This is a typical illustration of the mentality of a high-grade feeble-minded person, the moron, the delinquent, the kind of girl or woman that fills our reformatories. They are wayward, they get into all sorts of trouble and difficulties, sexually and otherwise, and yet we have been accustomed to account for their defects on the basis of viciousness, environment, or ignorance.

      It is also the history of the same type of girl in the public school. Rather good-looking, bright in appearance, with many attractive ways, the teacher clings to the hope, indeed insists, that such a girl will come out all right. Our work with Deborah convinces us that such hopes are delusions.

      Here is a child who has been most carefully guarded. She has been persistently trained since she was eight years old, and yet nothing has been accomplished in the direction