The Wanganui Chronicle. "Nulla Dies Sine Linea." WEDNESDAY. OCTOBER 23, A MATTER OF NATIONAL CONCERN.

Wanganui Chronicle, Issue 12856, 23 October 1912, Page 4

The Wanganui Chronicle. "Nulla Dies Sine Linea." WEDNESDAY. OCTOBER 23, A MATTER OF NATIONAL CONCERN.

Wo have received from Mr. George Benstead,. Principal of the Otekaike School ; for afflicted boys, i.e., blind, deaf, i feeble-minded and epileptic—a copy of ( his annual report for i-ha year t-nded | March last. The information contained in the report is instructive as to the good work that is being carried on in this southern institution, in which, when tho year closed, there were sixty- •■ seven inmates. The ages of the boys in attendance range from five years upwards, including six wno are over twenty-ono years of age. The Otekaike School is somethir g more than a place of detention for the unfit, and the published extracts from the letters of grateful parents,'supplemented by the testimony of independent experts, testify to the marked success which has attended tho efforts of the Principal and his staff to improve the mental, and physical condition of the children entrusted to their care. From the public point of view, however, the most important part of tho report is that in which Mr. Benstead touches on the broad questions of-public health and education. The views he expresses are entitled to the earnest consideration of all intelligent and thoughtful people who are anxious to ensure the physical, mental and moral progress of tho race, and to secure the elimination of all taint tending towards deterioration. Dr. Clouston, in his recent

work entitled "Unsoundness of Mind/ states: "Mental unsoundness should bo locked at not as an isolated fact in tho history of mankind, but as on© of tho results oi natural-iaw breaking—sometimes wilful, but more lrequentJy through ignorance or want of tho means of healthful living—on the part of former generations of mankind. If onetenth of the'thought and one-twentieth of tho effort that has been wasted on political discussion and on imheatthful amusements were, for a fow generations, given to health knowledge) and tho upbuilding of a 'health conscience' among mankind wo might make more progress. Wo need a genius and a few fiery enthusiasts to compel the attention of men and women to such questions." And again: "Soundness of mind is the master key to all human effort and progress." If then, says Mr. Benstead, we aro moro than casually interested m tho progress—mental anc! morr.l —of tho race, and if we would attempt to eliminate all that which tends towaids tho degeneration of the race, our first duty is to helo to devcloD or build ud n

"health conscience" among mankind. If

mental unsoundness is tho result of "natural-law breaking" or "want of the means of healthful living" on the part of former generations—that which, through ignorance largely, we have had bequeathed to vs —is there any reason why now, in tho twentieth century and

in this enlightened young country, this

state of darkness, theso sins of ignorance, should bo handed on to future generations? Our first duty, clearly,

is to disseminate knowledg3 of the laws

J of health as widely as possible, and \o • point out the penalty Nature imposes on posterity whan hoi laws aro broken or unheeded. Wo establish mental hospitals for the insane, schools for mental-

ly deficient, reformatory schools and

prisons for tho vicious and .criminal imbecile, but to hope to stem tho tide of national degeneracy we must go fur-

ther back—wo must begin with the child

yet unborn, if possible, by spreading tho knowledge to the parents that all forma of mental abnormality or mental un-

soundness aro not nn isolated fact in

tho history of mankind, hut one oi" the results of natural-law breaking. Mr. Benstead urges that a. dissemination of such knowledge as will tend to lessen tho chances of production or reproduction of unsoundness of mind in future generations, and the formation of a public opinion which will create a sense of responsibility in :<.ll matters pertaining lo human parenthood, aro questions ol national -importance, and <vemand the serious attention of not only eugenic education societies but of our Public Health Departments. Tho definition of tho new science of eugenics is "the study of agencies under social control that may improve or impair the racial qualities of future generations, either physically or mentally." All thoughtful people are, consciously or unconsciously, ougenists. It has been proved over and over again that tha most fruitful cause of mental degeneracy is heredity. Mental degeneracy in all its forms—insanity, idiocy, imbecility, fceble-mindediiess, epilepsy, criminality, inebriety, etc.—is closely allied to tho question of our public health. If th:\t is admitted, is it not n question as to whether it is t!t>t tho business of the Stato to set. up a Department where such work .as is now undertaken by eugenic societies could bo dealt with? The vState rightly interests itself now in "nurture," but by far tho most important question is that of "nature." Tho education of the normal portion of our people is of paramount importance, swing tliat our theory of education is now founded on a, system which aims to bring the whole organism to such perfection as it is capable of, ito train tho brain-power in accordance with its capacity so as to avoid tho

straining of any power or faculty. Our j trend now is to conduct tho whole of our educative processes in such a way as to conduce towards general organic health. Tho ultimata' aim of our educational system is to produce a healthy, moral, intellectual, and strong race. This, of course, is as it should be, but tha Principal of the Ot oka ike School holds that wo should consider it our first duty to set on foot a scientific movement —which in time will become of true- social value —to scientifically inquiro into the questions of production or^eproduction of those blots on public health and well-being—insanity, idiocy, imbecility, feeble-mindoduess, etc. — which aro now treated by separato Departments, but which aro clearly portions of one vast question of national importance. Something has already been done in tho direction .indicated by Mr. .Benstead. Tho Education Amendment Act, 1910, which came into operation last year, provides for the compulsory education of afflicted children —i.e., blind, deaf, feeble-minded, and epileptic —between the ages of six and twentyono years. Prior to the passing of this Act tho education of such children was , only compulsory up to the age of sixI teen years. This of course meant that when a child of feeble r-ind reached ! tho ago of sixteen years he was free, despite his mental incapacity, to go forth into the world, where his nrcconco would bo a standing menace to tho community, inasmuch as it would probably moan a perpetuation of the unfit. This extension of tho period of legnl control in tho case of afflicted children up to the ago of t\tenty-one years ams clearly a step in Iho right direction, but had the framers of this \-t hesitated at this point the gain to the community would have been but very small. The Act, however, wisely provides that when "a feeble-minded or epileptic child who is or .is apparently twenty years and six months of age and is through mental or physical defect or otherwise not (in his own or tho public interest^ a proper person to be free from guid-anc-o and control in a special school/ I then an application may be made to a Magistrate for an order directing that tho said child bo kept under guidance and control for a further period. Suei. , period of further detention may not exceed four years. If found to be neccs- ; sary in tho interests of the ?hild and tho community, further proceeding*? may be taken to again extend mo pcrrvl oP control and so on: