EXCLUSION OF DEAF MUTES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 159, 30 March 1908, Page 11

EXCLUSION OF DEAF MUTES.

OPINION ' v (BT...',TBI.EGi;APn—SrECUt COEEESroXDSNII ' "f , Christchyrch, March 28 <-Dr..:T?c.vH:\-Symes,swnting.to:tho.JM > rCBs-'?v . on the. sutjcct of the exclusion of deaf-mutes- : The interests of ••• • thoDominion prevent serious objections 'to their.-admission,' .The - difficulty arises from'" ~ ithe-unxoriuti&te fact that macortam"propor- • t'on -of-cases deaf-mutism is an hereditary• , : defgct/ In many cases it is merely a defect . ■ acquired m early ■.ihildhobify- as the result of tubei - culosis,j : ■ dlsoases/iV Stloh'-cases are never; hereditary;" ■ ; but in other cases of a more serious'nature l ' . the defecfc.is.congenital, aiid present at :birth. If it IS: then generally,'thei-result'of hereditary; diseaso of tho nervous system, and- may be' •handed. dowjwfrom;goneration : to*generation,i' tile tendency.' to nervous' disorder may -show ' - itsolf• under various foi-nis in .different! mom-" ■;. . bprs ;0f.3h0 same family,.'so that; insanity, epi-j ■ lepsy- may take the place Of ;deafrmutism-in ; thb family- descent. -There; are well-known* v"i ' this 911 record. -'Another coiwidv ". : eratiori^s.-thaV.thei^ for deaf-mutes to intermarry. .Now, although it-n generally admitted that'acquired defects ; aro cot transmitted from-parent to 'child,' yet in those; eases?.winch aro congenital the imion of two-such parents liifallibly increases to ;an<i • enormous u eitont the . tend6iioy to similar or allied disease 111 tho children.;- Our own deaf-' mutes will have a much hotter chance of getting, rid of thi3rdofo<;t in their families by marrying hcanng'porsonß.th'aii;by marrying^ , • other deaf porsons./ : For. theso reasons; I it is very; desirable to. exclude.,deafmutes from New. Zealand.' 1 ' ; /