Classification of the mentally retarded

Three main grades are distinguished, namely, imbeciles and feeble-minded persons. Roughly speaking, one can say that idiots are so grossly subnormal in intelligence that they cannot learn to protect themselves from common physical dangers. They do not learn to speak more than a few words at most.

Imbeciles learn to avoid common physical dangers, and can usually carry on a simple conversation, but they do not have the wit to learn to read and write, and as adults they can only lead a sheltered existence. In imbeciles and idiots the damage to the central nervous system is severe.

Idiots and imbeciles form the two great classes of what is often called "lower grade" mental defect. There is considerable agreement in all countries as to how these two terms shall be used, and because of the gravity of the disabilities from which idiots and imbeciles suffer diagnosis is relatively easy in the great majority of cases. Both the terminology and the definition of this category are confusing. In Great Britain, the "slow learning" children are often called feeble-minded.

In America the term feeble-mindedness is a synonym for mental-deficiency. And those who are called feeble-minded in England are called morons in the United States.

The term feeble-minded has traditionally been applied to adults who are above imbecile grade in intelligence and attainment, but who are regarded as mentally deficient because of gross social incompetence. So the term feeble-minded is now applied only to socially incompetent persons who are also grossly subnormal in intelligence.

In most feeble-minded persons the damage of the central nervous system is either not severe or is non-existent, and the main defects, which are behavioural, are in many cases due more to environmental factors impairing the efficiency of a vulnerable organism, than to physiological causes in themselves.

Mental deficiency is to be distinguished from mental illness.

a) Mentally ill patience are 1) those who need medical and social services in the community or in hospital and who are not at present subject to compulsory powers (they are many) and 2) those who are at present subject to compulsory admission to hospital or community care, in certain circumstances, as "Persons of unsound mind" (they are few).

b) Psychopathic patients, or patients with psychopathic per­sonality are those who may be called feeble-minded psychopaths.

Talking points

What way of classifying mental defectives is one of the most useful for psychological and administrative purposes?

What is the difference between imbeciles and idiots?

When is the damage of the central nervous system is either not severe or is non-existent?

When is the term feeble-minded traditionally applied to adults?

What way is mental deficiency to be distinguished from mental illness?

TERMS

imbeciles – имбецилы

feeble-minded = morons - дебилы

idiots – идиоты

a sheltered existence – опекаемое существование

mental deficiency – умственная недостаточность

environmental factors – факторы окружающей среды

vulnerable organism – уязвимый организм

mental illness – психическое заболевание

unsound mind – душевно больные

psychopathic patients – психопаты