Mental Defectives and Sexual Offenders | Page 7

without adequate
restrictions as contributing seriously to precocious sexuality, and also to weakening the
powers of inhibition and self-control in other directions--powers which are the distinctive
attributes of the higher human being.
Alongside these considerations, the bodily harm done to the young by frequently
spending their afternoons and evenings in hot, stuffy, overcrowded halls shrinks into
insignificance, though serious enough in itself.
The Committee endorses the opinions expressed by Education authorities, and by
practically every organization throughout the Dominion concerned with the welfare of

children, upon the harmful effect of moving-picture shows as at present conducted. The
Committee sympathizes with proposals for reform along the following lines:--
(1.) Stricter censorship, not only of films, but of picture posters, handbills, and
advertisements.
(2.) Regulations as to the age of admission for children when unaccompanied by a
responsible adult, and to such pictures as are not pronounced by the Censor as suitable for
children.
(3.) Proper safeguards for the morals of children and young persons within
picture-theatres, including adequate supervision of the premises.
The Committee desire it to be clearly understood that in this report they have not
particularly dealt with mental disabilities resulting from diseases such as syphilis, or toxic
influences such as alcohol, drugs, &c. These questions have already been covered to
some extent by the Report of the Venereal Diseases Committee, and in any case would
involve too wide a field of investigation for the present inquiry.
An authoritative summary taken from this year's report of the Director of the Division of
School Hygiene is quoted in the Appendix as pointing out most of the faults and mistakes
in environment and upbringing to which reference has been made, and because it draws
special and much-needed attention to the injurious effects of overwork and excessive
competition and the need for more sleep and rest.
We would merely add to this very clear, practical statement that encouragement of
excessive competition, inside or outside the school, for any purpose whatsoever, is costly
and damaging to the whole being, and that, in the opinion of the Committee, nothing
needs to be impressed more strongly on parents and school-teachers than Froebel's
injunction, "Give space and time and rest."
SECTION 3.--ILLUSTRATIVE CASES OF HEREDITARY DEGENERACY.
The Juke Family.
To show the close relationship existing between the criminal and the psychopath the
record of the so-called Juke family in America was compiled by R. L. Dugdale.
The descendants of one morbid couple were traced through five generations. Whilst a
small proportion were honest workers, the great majority were paupers, criminals, and
prostitutes.
Of 540 Jukes practically one-fifth were born out of wedlock, 37 were known to be
syphilitic, 53 had been in poorhouses, 76 had been sentenced to prison, and of 229
women of marriageable age 128 were prostitutes. The economic damage inflicted upon
the State of New York by the Jukes in seventy-five years was estimated at more than
$1,300,000, to say nothing of diseases and other evil influences which they helped to
spread.

A more recent investigation shows that 2,820 people have been studied; 2,094 were of
Juke blood and 726 of "X" blood married into the Juke family; of these, 366 were
paupers, while 171 were criminals, and 10 lives have been sacrificed by murder. In
school-work 62 did well, 288 did fairly, while 458 were retarded two or more years. It is
known that 166 never attended school; the school data for the rest of the family were
unobtainable. There were 282 intemperate and 277 harlots. The total cost to the State has
been estimated at $2,093,685.
The Kallikak Family.
The history of the Kallikak family has been traced and fully described in detail by Dr.
Goddard, and his study shows the hereditary nature and sociological bearings of
feeble-mindedness.
Martin Kallikak was a youthful soldier in the Revolutionary War. At a tavern frequented
by the militia he met a feeble-minded girl by whom he became the father of a
feeble-minded son. In 1912 there were 480 known direct descendants of this temporary
union. It is known that 36 of these were illegitimates; that 33 were sexually immoral; that
24 were confirmed alcoholics; and that 8 kept houses of ill-fame. The explanation of so
much immorality will be obvious when it is stated that of the 480 descendants 143 were
known to be feeble-minded, and that many of the others were of questionable mentality.
A few years after returning from the war this same Martin Kallikak married a respectable
girl of good family. From this union 496 individuals have been traced in direct descent,
and in this branch of the family there were no illegitimate children, no immoral women,
and only one man who was sexually loose. There were no criminals, no keepers of houses
of ill-fame, and only two confirmed alcoholics. Again the explanation