English: CASE J.-LOW-GRADE IMBECILE.
E. G. was 15 years old when photo was taken. The father was
63 and the mother 32 at the time of E's birth. It is said that the father
originally came from an old and respectable English family, but that he
did something in his youth that made it desirable for him to live away
from home; so he came to America as an adventurer. At one time he
owned, or operated, a house-boat of ill-fame, which he sailed up and
down the Mississippi River. He contracted syphilis, infected his
wife, who was a common, ignorant woman, and they were for years
covered with foul-smelling, running sores. He sank lower and lower,
and finally drifted into what was called, by courtesy, farming, He
and his wife, who was feeble-minded, and their 5 children lived in a
rough, one-roomed cabin, 12 X 20, together with the horse, dog, pig
and cow; and the potatoes, corn-meal and buck-wheat. There was
only one small window, about 2 feet square. The subject and two
brothers were feeble-minded, but one sister and a brother were very
bright, the determiner element in the father's blood asserting itself and
predominating over that of the mother. E., when hungry, would
insert the cow's teat in her mouth and drink her fill. She slept on hay,
straw and rags spread on the floor, and never undressed. Often she
went for weeks without changing her clothing or washing her face;
and bathing was unknown.
Finally the Directors of the Poor succeeded in discovering the
English relatives, who educated the normal boy and girl. The latter
made a brilliant record at school, wrote very good verses, and finally
married a physician, but within a few months of her marriage she
developed epilepsy and finally died in spasms.
E., when she came under Dr. Barr's care, displayed peculiar aptitude
in the use of her hands. Without instruction she learned to cut the
most wonderful silhouettes of animals and people, but her specialty
was cows and horses. It was attempted to divert her talent into
useful channels, but without success.
E. is the fifth child; difficult labor, and deficient animation at
birth. She was nourished by her mother. The mother's brother is
feeble-minded and her father insane; and she always lived in extreme
poverty. E. is affectionate, truthful and obstinate. She speaks in a peculiar, low, slurring, whining voice, and keeps repeating; "I'm
afraid - I'm afraid.” She learned to recognize a few colors and forms,
and to read simple sentences in a halting, hesitating way, and write a
sprawling illegible hand, always under direction. She has an aversion
to sewing. Her mental limit was reached in her 21st year, and since
then she has retrograded until now she does absolutely nothing.
Photo CASE J-1 is the mother.