Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 4.djvu/348

 330 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY

tion, were inmates of the state school for the deaf. Her oldest brother, a laborer of the lowest class, has served a term in state's prison for incest. Her father was a habitual drinker, although not a drunkard. Her mother is an overworked, underfed woman of the lowest type of German immigrants, who, as well as an older sister, has somewhat cretinoid features.

L. and L. N. Twin girls, low-grade imbeciles. One sister is an

inmate of a hospital for insane. Their father was feeble-minded. They have two brothers, also twins, both of whom are left-handed."

E. I. A high-grade imbecile girl, is dying of consumption. Her

father, mother, and four sisters have died of the same disease. One other sister is also consumptive.

J., J., J., and E. X. Three brothers and a sister, high- and middle- grade imbeciles. Their mother, who is feeble-minded, lives in a poorhouse with three younger children, the fruit of a second marriage.

M., R., and A. D. Two brothers and a sister, high-grade imbeciles,

have two first cousins, also high-grade imbeciles, in the same institution. This family has a mingled history of pauperism, imbecility, inebriety, and crime on both parental sides for several generations back.

J. B. Middle-grade imbecile boy ; has a brother of low order of intel- lect, who is a habitual criminal. His mother and grandmother were feeble- minded. His mother had five illegitimate children, all born in the county poorhouse, concerning whose paternity nothing is known.

K., S., and B. S. Two sisters and a brother, middle- and high-grade

imbeciles, are the illegitimate offspring of an imbecile woman who has spent most of her life in the county poorhouse. She has twice been married, each time to a feeble-minded man, by whom she has had other children. Her father and grandmother are known to have been inmates of the same poor- house, the defective records of which omit other members of the family who are supposed to have been inmates also. Most of the family are feeble- minded ; all are either indoor or outdoor paupers.

R. c. A high-grade idiot boy ; has one feeble-minded sister. One

uncle on maternal and one on paternal side were feeble-minded. His father is a paralytic. His mother had a numerous family, most of whom died in infancy. He is a psychopathic sexual pervert.

J., J., and E. C -. Three brothers, middle- and high-grade imbeciles.

Father was a weak-minded drunkard. One uncle was a low-grade idiot.

G. C. A high-grade imbecile girl ; was the fruit of incestuous inter- course between her mother and her mother's grandfather.

M. B. A high-grade imbecile ; epileptic and paralytic. Her mother

died of consumption one week after the birth of M.

B. I. A high-grade imbecile; epileptic and paralytic. Father very

nervous. Several deaf-mule relatives. Two epileptic aunts.

"The proportion of left-handed ness observed in pupils of institutions for feeble- minded is many times greater than in normal children.