"Mental Deficiency Pedigree," a multigenerational study of a rural family by the British National Association for the Feebleminded (3)

2208. -4- trolled and the very worst type of girl to be left at large. 1V 29 A girl of 16 who lived at home till a year ago and was then removed to the County Asylum and is described as as "Epileptic Imbecile". " 30 A boy who died at 2 years old. To sum up the account of this family, Of the 17 children, 8 did not survive their childhood the majority of them dying before 2 years old. Of the survivors, 9 of tem - 7 can definitely be described as mentally deficient and of the 2 remaining, there is doubt as to whether they too could be considered normal. Cancer and Epilepsy are probably present and Polydactylism has been found - 3 of the girls have had between them 5 illegitimate children the father of one being the girl's uncle. Alcoholism play a large part and it can be inferred that no member is exempt from it. We have therefore a picture of degeneracy in many associated forms. Physically there is much weakness; mentally the condition is one of the lowest, for where complete deficiency cannot be claimed the standard of capacity is so low that only the poorest forms of labour can be followed with a corresponding poorness of wage. Socially they are of the least desirable type, casual and careless and disorderly in their dealings; Four are kept at the public expense and the labour the rest can offer is almost worthless. Turning to the progeny of this family - One only has survived of the 5 children born, all illegitimate. V 2 The boy alive, now 6, lives at home on the farm, attends the village school. He was born in the Workhouse and his father is said to belong to the criminal class and is often in the police [end]