194
Diagnoses | Total | White | ||||||
Total | Syphilis | Gonorrhea | Other venereal infection | |||||
Admitted | Denied | Admitted | Denied | Admitted | Denied | |||
Mental deficiency | 21,858 | 17,803 | 517 | 17,286 | 2,231 | 15,572 | 171 | 17,632 |
Psychoneuroses | 11,443 | 10,343 | 446 | 9,897 | 1,860 | 8,483 | 114 | 10,229 |
Psychoses | 7,910 | 7,354 | 640 | 6,714 | 1,409 | 5,945 | 163 | 7,191 |
General paralysis | 530 | 487 | 255 | 232 | 159 | 328 | 19 | 468 |
Alcoholic | 292 | 287 | 35 | 252 | 93 | 194 | 11 | 276 |
Manic-depressive | 1,385 | 1,304 | 69 | 1,235 | 256 | 1,048 | 29 | 1,275 |
Dementia pr?cox | 4,738 | 4,433 | 205 | 4,228 | 752 | 3,681 | 83 | 4,350 |
Epileptic | 131 | 112 | 2 | 110 | 18 | 94 | 2 | 110 |
Other forms | 834 | 731 | 74 | 657 | 131 | 600 | 19 | 712 |
Nervous diseases and injuries | 6,916 | 6,116 | 1,669 | 4,447 | 1,594 | 4,522 | 176 | 5,940 |
Chorea | 264 | 252 | 11 | 241 | 35 | 217 | 3 | 249 |
Hemiplegia | 258 | 210 | 26 | 184 | 45 | 165 | 4 | 206 |
Injuries to nervous system | 554 | 428 | 23 | 405 | 79 | 349 | 4 | 424 |
Meningitis | 279 | 242 | 4 | 238 | 32 | 210 | 2 | 240 |
Multiple sclerosis | 511 | 483 | 16 | 467 | 88 | 395 | 1 | 482 |
Neuritis | 222 | 213 | 5 | 208 | 35 | 178 | 2 | 211 |
Paralysis | 340 | 282 | 15 | 267 | 52 | 230 | 5 | 277 |
Poliomyelitis | 211 | 191 | 6 | 185 | 27 | 164 | 2 | 189 |
Sciatica | 137 | 127 | 7 | 120 | 26 | 101 | 3 | 124 |
Syphilis C.N.S. | 2,462 | 2,161 | 1,345 | 816 | 862 | 1,299 | 102 | 2,059 |
Tabes dorsalis | 333 | 294 | 135 | 159 | 107 | 187 | 11 | 283 |
Tic | 200 | 183 | 8 | 175 | 29 | 154 | 2 | 181 |
Tremor | 243 | 212 | 22 | 190 | 38 | 174 | 7 | 205 |
Other forms | 902 | 838 | 46 | 792 | 139 | 699 | 28 | 810 |
Epilepsy | 6,388 | 5,273 | 182 | 5,091 | 819 | 4,454 | 69 | 5,204 |
Constitutional psychopathic states | 6,196 | 5,941 | 360 | 5,581 | 1,142 | 4,799 | 117 | 5,824 |
Endocrinopathies | 4,805 | 4,506 | 131 | 4,375 | 591 | 3,915 | 46 | 4,460 |
Drug addiction | 2,020 | 1,823 | 390 | 1,433 | 847 | 976 | 74 | 1,749 |
Alcoholism | 1,858 | 1,834 | 210 | 1,624 | 583 | 1,251 | 39 | 1,795 |
Total | 69,394 | 60,993 | 4,545 | 56,448 | 11,076 | 49,917 | 969 | 60,024 |
Diagnoses | Total | Colored | |||||
Syphilis | Gonorrhea | Other venereal infection | |||||
Admitted | Denied | Admitted | Denied | Admitted | Denied | ||
Mental deficiency | 4,055 | 949 | 3,106 | 1,846 | 2,209 | 166 | 3,889 |
Psychoneuroses | 1,100 | 240 | 860 | 506 | 594 | 65 | 1,035 |
Psychoses | 556 | 145 | 411 | 220 | 336 | 25 | 531 |
General paralysis | 43 | 31 | 12 | 17 | 26 | 5 | 38 |
Alcoholic | 5 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | --- | 5 |
Manic-depressive | 81 | 9 | 72 | 33 | 48 | 4 | 77 |
Dementia pr?cox | 305 | 58 | 247 | 117 | 188 | 10 | 295 |
Epileptic | 19 | 6 | 13 | 8 | 11 | 4 | 15 |
Other forms | 103 | 39 | 64 | 42 | 61 | 2 | 101 |
Nervous diseases and injuries | 800 | 349 | 451 | 404 | 396 | 39 | 761 |
Chorea | 12 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 9 | --- | 12 |
Hemiplegia | 48 | 20 | 28 | 24 | 24 | 4 | 44 |
Injuries to nervous system | 126 | 31 | 95 | 66 | 60 | 5 | 121 |
Meningitis | 37 | 8 | 29 | 9 | 28 | --- | 37 |
Multiple sclerosis | 28 | 9 | 19 | 14 | 14 | --- | 28 |
Neuritis | 9 | 2 | 7 | 5 | 4 | --- | 9 |
Paralysis | 58 | 15 | 43 | 32 | 26 | 1 | 57 |
Poliomyelitis | 20 | 6 | 14 | 13 | 7 | --- | 20 |
Sciatica | 10 | 2 | 8 | 5 | 5 | --- | 10 |
Syphilis C.N.S. | 301 | 188 | 113 | 153 | 148 | 23 | 278 |
Tabes dorsalis | 39 | 30 | 9 | 22 | 17 | 2 | 37 |
Tic | 17 | 7 | 10 | 6 | 11 | 1 | 16 |
Tremor | 31 | 10 | 21 | 21 | 10 | 1 | 30 |
Other forms | 64 | 16 | 48 | 31 | 33 | 2 | 62 |
Epilepsy | 1,115 | 273 | 842 | 557 | 558 | 45 | 1,070 |
Constitutional psychopathic states | 255 | 71 | 184 | 133 | 122 | 9 | 246 |
Endorinopathies | 299 | 85 | 214 | 148 | 151 | 18 | 281 |
Drug addiction | 197 | 75 | 122 | 112 | 85 | 16 | 181 |
Alcoholism | 24 | 8 | 16 | 7 | 17 | 1 | 23 |
Total | 8,401 | 2,195 | 6,206 | 3,933 | 4,468 | 384 | 8,017 |
195
Table 26 shows that an almost equal percentage of the whiteand colored neuropsychiatric cases abstained from the use of alcohol, and thatthe ratio of moderate drinkers was also about the same. The ratio for the whitesexceeded that for the colored in the number who were classed as intemperate. Itwill be observed that a little less than one-half of the individuals werereported as moderate drinkers.
No information is obtainable which might permit a comparisonof the alcoholic habits of neuropsychiatric cases with similar habits insoldiers generally; but Table 26 permits of a comparison of the alcoholic habitsamong the different neuropsychiatric groups. There are noteworthy widevariations between the percentage of "abstinent" and"intemperate" in the various groups.
TABLE 26.-Habits of neuropsychiatric cases as to alcohol
Diagnoses | Total | White | Colored | ||||||||
Total | Absti- | Mod- | Intem- | Unascer- | Total | Absti- | Mod- | Intem- | Unascer- | ||
Mental deficiency | 21,858 | 17,803 | 6,873 | 8,100 | 1,556 | 1,274 | 4,055 | 1,626 | 1,989 | 358 | 82 |
Psychoneuroses | 11,443 | 10,343 | 4,824 | 4,554 | 541 | 424 | 1,100 | 522 | 470 | 84 | 24 |
Psychoses | 7,910 | 7,354 | 2,383 | 3,102 | 1,278 | 591 | 556 | 183 | 261 | 76 | 36 |
General paralysis | 530 | 487 | 81 | 244 | 121 | 41 | 43 | 12 | 20 | 8 | 3 |
Alcoholic | 292 | 287 | --- | 14 | 259 | 14 | 5 | --- | --- | 4 | 1 |
Manic-depressive | 1,385 | 1,304 | 446 | 589 | 162 | 107 | 81 | 26 | 40 | 6 | 9 |
Dementia pr?cox | 4,738 | 4,433 | 1,586 | 1,914 | 603 | 330 | 305 | 105 | 138 | 42 | 20 |
Epileptic | 131 | 112 | 40 | 28 | 18 | 26 | 19 | 10 | 9 | --- | --- |
Other forms | 834 | 731 | 230 | 313 | 115 | 73 | 103 | 30 | 54 | 16 | 3 |
Nervous diseases and injuries | 6,916 | 6,116 | 2,010 | 2,880 | 741 | 485 | 800 | 274 | 395 | 111 | 20 |
Chorea | 264 | 252 | 141 | 98 | 6 | 7 | 12 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
Hemiplegia | 258 | 210 | 101 | 76 | 16 | 17 | 48 | 21 | 25 | 2 | --- |
Injuries to nervous system | 554 | 428 | 189 | 181 | 31 | 27 | 126 | 46 | 54 | 19 | 7 |
Meningitis | 279 | 242 | 129 | 84 | 12 | 17 | 37 | 21 | 14 | 1 | 1 |
Multiple sclerosis | 511 | 483 | 173 | 218 | 38 | 54 | 28 | 11 | 12 | 5 | --- |
Neuritis | 222 | 213 | 82 | 93 | 29 | 9 | 9 | 6 | 2 | 1 | --- |
Paralysis | 340 | 282 | 125 | 124 | 12 | 21 | 58 | 15 | 33 | 9 | 1 |
Poliomyelitis | 211 | 191 | 105 | 70 | 5 | 11 | 20 | 12 | 7 | 1 | --- |
Sciatica | 137 | 127 | 43 | 62 | 8 | 14 | 10 | 7 | 2 | --- | 1 |
Syphilis C.N.S. | 2,462 | 2,161 | 371 | 1,206 | 437 | 147 | 301 | 79 | 160 | 55 | 7 |
Tabes dorsalis | 333 | 294 | 48 | 142 | 60 | 44 | 39 | 8 | 22 | 9 | --- |
Tic | 200 | 183 | 84 | 76 | 10 | 13 | 17 | 10 | 7 | --- | --- |
Tremor | 243 | 212 | 96 | 89 | 15 | 12 | 31 | 10 | 17 | 3 | 1 |
Other forms | 902 | 838 | 323 | 361 | 62 | 92 | 64 | 23 | 36 | 4 | 1 |
Epilepsy | 6,388 | 5,273 | 2,245 | 2,274 | 343 | 411 | 1,115 | 501 | 525 | 66 | 23 |
Constitutional psychopathic states | 6,196 | 5,941 | 2,186 | 2,548 | 913 | 294 | 255 | 91 | 114 | 46 | 4 |
Endocrinopathies | 4,805 | 4,506 | 2,151 | 1,930 | 198 | 227 | 299 | 105 | 154 | 34 | 6 |
Drug addiction | 2,020 | 1,823 | 567 | 838 | 319 | 99 | 197 | 72 | 100 | 22 | 3 |
Alcoholism | 1,858 | 1,834 | --- | --- | 1,771 | 63 | 24 | --- | --- | 22 | 2 |
Total | 69,394 | 60,993 | 23,239 | 26,226 | 7,660 | 3,868 | 8,401 | 3,374 | 4,008 | 819 | 200 |
196
MARITAL STATUS
Table 27 shows the marital status of the neuropsychiatriccases. Therein it is seen that 54,166, or 78 Percent, of the 69,394 neuropsychiatric cases were single, as compared with 89.5Percent of the draft men (Class I) who were single.4 Marriages inboth groups include widowed and divorced. There are several explanations for the excess in the percentages ofmarried men among the neuropsychiatric cases: One was the tendency of the localboards to place in Class I men who had no families to support; another is theprobability that some benedicts enlisted on account of domestic troubles,which are frequent among those handicapped by nervous and mental disease ordefects.
It will be noticed that the number of marriages among thecolored exceeds that of the whites, the ratio more than double, and that thereis a very slight increase in the ratio of divorces among the colored.
197
TABLE 27.-Marital status ofneuropsychiatric cases
Diagnoses | Total | White | Colored | ||||||||||
Total | Single | Mar- | Wid- | Divor- | Unascer- | Total | Single | Mar- | Wid- | Divor- | Unascer- | ||
Mental deficiency | 21,858 | 17,803 | 15,161 | 1,813 | 87 | 128 | 614 | 4,055 | 2,724 | 1,158 | 85 | 73 | 15 |
Psychoneuroses | 11,443 | 10,343 | 7,882 | 2,062 | 56 | 131 | 212 | 1,100 | 670 | 381 | 21 | 21 | 7 |
Psychoses | 7,910 | 7,354 | 5,989 | 932 | 69 | 115 | 249 | 556 | 359 | 160 | 11 | 8 | 18 |
General paralysis | 530 | 487 | 322 | 105 | 16 | 27 | 17 | 43 | 26 | 14 | 1 | --- | 2 |
Alcoholic | 292 | 287 | 221 | 31 | 7 | 20 | 8 | 5 | 3 | --- | 1 | 1 | --- |
Manic-depressive | 1,385 | 1,304 | 1,018 | 209 | 10 | 19 | 48 | 81 | 50 | 24 | 3 | 1 | 3 |
Dementia pr?cox | 4,738 | 4,433 | 3,798 | 440 | 29 | 35 | 131 | 305 | 201 | 87 | 3 | 3 | 11 |
Epileptic | 131 | 112 | 86 | 19 | --- | 2 | 5 | 19 | 11 | 7 | 1 | --- | --- |
Other forms | 834 | 731 | 544 | 128 | 7 | 12 | 40 | 103 | 68 | 28 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
Nervous diseases and injuries | 6,916 | 6,116 | 4,553 | 1,128 | 69 | 122 | 244 | 800 | 483 | 263 | 23 | 22 | 9 |
Chorea | 264 | 252 | 199 | 46 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 12 | 5 | 6 | 1 | --- | --- |
Hemiplegia | 258 | 210 | 170 | 32 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 48 | 35 | 10 | 2 | 1 | --- |
Injuries to nervous system | 554 | 428 | 316 | 83 | 1 | 6 | 22 | 126 | 71 | 42 | 5 | 4 | 4 |
Meningitis | 279 | 242 | 191 | 44 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 37 | 26 | 11 | --- | --- | --- |
Multiple sclerosis | 511 | 483 | 382 | 67 | 3 | 8 | 23 | 28 | 21 | 7 | --- | --- | --- |
Neuritis | 222 | 213 | 161 | 40 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 4 | 5 | --- | --- | --- |
Paralysis | 340 | 282 | 228 | 43 | 1 | --- | 10 | 58 | 37 | 18 | 1 | 2 | --- |
Poliomyelitis | 211 | 191 | 163 | 24 | --- | --- | 4 | 20 | 15 | 4 | --- | --- | 1 |
Sciatica | 137 | 127 | 89 | 29 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 10 | 9 | 1 | --- | --- | --- |
Syphilis C.N.S. | 2,462 | 2,161 | 1,552 | 436 | 35 | 68 | 70 | 301 | 172 | 105 | 8 | 12 | 4 |
Tabes dorsalis | 333 | 294 | 186 | 59 | 10 | 9 | 30 | 39 | 19 | 18 | 2 | --- | --- |
Tic | 200 | 183 | 136 | 36 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 17 | 8 | 8 | 1 | --- | --- |
Tremor | 243 | 212 | 167 | 33 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 31 | 18 | 9 | 1 | 3 | --- |
Other forms | 902 | 838 | 613 | 156 | 7 | 9 | 53 | 64 | 43 | 19 | 2 | --- | --- |
Epilepsy | 6,388 | 5,273 | 4,009 | 926 | 47 | 68 | 223 | 1,115 | 662 | 420 | 18 | 12 | 3 |
Constitutional psychopathic states | 6,196 | 5,941 | 4,857 | 803 | 31 | 83 | 167 | 255 | 162 | 89 | 2 | 2 | --- |
Endocrinopathies | 4,805 | 4,506 | 3,570 | 792 | 21 | 28 | 95 | 299 | 197 | 94 | 7 | 1 | --- |
Drug addiction | 2,020 | 1,823 | 1,367 | 355 | 20 | 41 | 40 | 197 | 125 | 66 | 4 | 2 | --- |
Alcoholism | 1,858 | 1,834 | 1,379 | 282 | 45 | 74 | 54 | 24 | 17 | 6 | --- | 1 | --- |
Total | 69,394 | 60,993 | 48,767 | 9,093 | 445 | 790 | 1,898 | 8,401 | 5,399 | 2,637 | 171 | 142 | 52 |
HOME ENVIRONMENT-URBAN OR RURAL
Neuropsychiatric examiners were instructed to classify allplaces of 2,500 people or over as urban, in accordance with the classificationused in the reports of the United States Census Bureau.
In the examination of the records of 200,000 selectedregistrants from urban and rural districts, 21.7 Percent of those from urbandistricts were rejected, while the rejections from the rural districts were 16.9Percent.5 In other words, according to the Provost Marshal General,considerable physical advantage accrues to the boy reared in the country.5 Ofthe general population of the United States, 49 Percent of the whites and 73Percent of the colored reside in rural districts.
Table 28, which shows the home environment of theneuropsychiatric cases during the World War indicates no striking differencebetween the percentage of white and colored population and the percentage ofwhite and colored neuropsychiatric cases living in the urban and ruralcommunities. A slightly higher rate of neuropsychiatric cases is to be foundamong people living in the cities, but in individual clinical conditions thereis more variation as between urban and rural environments.
198
TABLE 28.-Home environment of neuropsychiatric cases
Diagnoses | Total | White | Colored | ||||||
Total | Urban | Rural | Unascer- | Total | Urban | Rural | Unascer- | ||
Mental deficiency | 21,858 | 17,803 | 6,081 | 11,022 | 700 | 4,055 | 1,088 | 2,944 | 23 |
Psychoneuroses | 11,443 | 10,343 | 5,889 | 4,167 | 287 | 1,100 | 429 | 666 | 5 |
Psychoses | 7,910 | 7,354 | 4,228 | 2,759 | 367 | 556 | 216 | 323 | 17 |
General paralysis | 530 | 487 | 374 | 87 | 26 | 43 | 28 | 14 | 1 |
Alcoholic | 292 | 287 | 209 | 63 | 15 | 5 | 2 | 3 | --- |
Manic-depressive | 1,385 | 1,304 | 800 | 438 | 66 | 81 | 24 | 54 | 3 |
Dementia pr?cox | 4,738 | 4,433 | 2,400 | 1,837 | 196 | 305 | 118 | 178 | 9 |
Epileptic | 131 | 112 | 55 | 49 | 8 | 19 | 6 | 13 | --- |
Other forms | 834 | 731 | 390 | 285 | 56 | 103 | 38 | 61 | 4 |
Nervous diseases and injuries | 6,916 | 6,116 | 3,703 | 2,127 | 286 | 800 | 406 | 385 | 9 |
Chorea | 264 | 252 | 131 | 115 | 6 | 12 | 6 | 5 | 1 |
Hemiplegia | 258 | 210 | 116 | 85 | 9 | 48 | 19 | 28 | 1 |
Injuries to nervous system | 554 | 428 | 242 | 167 | 19 | 126 | 52 | 71 | 3 |
Meningitis | 279 | 242 | 110 | 125 | 7 | 37 | 23 | 14 | --- |
Multiple sclerosis | 511 | 483 | 257 | 198 | 28 | 28 | 14 | 14 | --- |
Neuritis | 222 | 213 | 121 | 83 | 9 | 9 | 3 | 6 | --- |
Paralysis | 340 | 282 | 161 | 113 | 8 | 58 | 28 | 30 | --- |
Poliomyelitis | 211 | 191 | 115 | 72 | 4 | 20 | 6 | 14 | --- |
Sciatica | 137 | 127 | 72 | 49 | 6 | 10 | 5 | 4 | 1 |
Syphilis C.N.S. | 2,462 | 2,161 | 1,510 | 565 | 86 | 301 | 178 | 120 | 3 |
Tabes dorsalis | 333 | 294 | 196 | 69 | 29 | 39 | 20 | 19 | --- |
Tic | 200 | 183 | 107 | 68 | 8 | 17 | 10 | 7 | --- |
Tremor | 243 | 212 | 95 | 109 | 8 | 34 | 19 | 12 | --- |
Other forms | 902 | 838 | 470 | 309 | 59 | 64 | 23 | 41 | --- |
Epilepsy | 6,388 | 5,273 | 2,802 | 2,215 | 256 | 1,115 | 391 | 722 | 2 |
Constitutional psychopathic states | 6,196 | 5,941 | 3,672 | 2,073 | 196 | 255 | 140 | 113 | 2 |
Endocrinopathies | 4,805 | 4,506 | 2,502 | 1,917 | 87 | 299 | 123 | 176 | --- |
Drug addiction | 2,020 | 1,823 | 1,614 | 163 | 46 | 197 | 188 | 7 | 2 |
Alcoholism | 1,858 | 1,834 | 1,470 | 305 | 59 | 24 | 20 | 4 | --- |
Total | 69,394 | 60,993 | 31,961 | 26,748 | 2,284 | 8,401 | 3,001 | 5,340 | 60 |
199
STATES OF RESIDENCE AND BIRTH (WITH GAIN OR LOSS FROMIMMIGRATION OR MIGRATION)
Table 29 shows the number of residents of each State includedin the present series of neuropsychiatric cases. Table 30 shows the State ofbirth of neuropsychiatric cases. In reference to the occurrence of nervous andmental diseases or defect in the individual States, a question presents itself:Are the cases found among the residents of the State the State's own people?Table 31 shows, by States, the gains or losses of neuropsychiatric cases throughforeign immigration and State migration. It will be observed that all but nineStates have more cases living in the State than were born there. Table 31 shows in detail whether the problem for each State isone of foreign immigration or is of State migration of either the white orcolored. Those interested may ascertain how immigration is related to the Stateproblem in regard to any clinical group. For instance, as concerns mentaldeficiency in Connecticut and Rhode Island, the foreign-born mental defectivesconstituted about one-half of all the cases. In New York and Massachusetts aboutone-third of the cases were of foreign birth. In New Jersey, Pennsylvania,Michigan, California, and Washington the foreign-born equaled from one-fourth toone-fifth of the total. In many of the other States the ratios were fromone-sixth to one-ninth of the totals.
Thus it may be determined in reference to any condition howmany cases more or less were residing in the State than were born there. Forinstance, the residents of Alabama gave birth to 435 of the white and 711 of thecolored mental defectives. The same State had only 397 of the whites and 656 ofthe colored mental defectives living there. In other words, the other States hadamong their mental defectives 38 whites and 55 colored which were received fromAlabama (for which the latter State received 9 in return).
The residents of the State of New York gave birth to 814 ofthe white and 12 of the colored mental defectives, and 412 of the whites came tothe State from foreign countries. Deducting the last figure from the totalwhites, it is found that the State of New York received 45 white and 35 coloredmental defectives from the other States.
Calculations similar to the ones made in the precedingparagraphs may be made by those interested for each of the different clinicalconditions for every State in the Union. The results may be of no greatpractical value because of the inability to prevent neuropsychiatric individualsfrom going where they are taken by their parents. The information may proveuseful, however, to those who wish to determine the localities that furnish morethan their quota of neuropsychiatric conditions.
200-205
TABLE 29.-State of residence of neuropsychiatric cases
206-210
TABLE 30.-State of birth of neuropsychiatric cases
211
TABLE 31.-Gain or loss of neuropsychiatriccases resulting from immigration or migrationa
Total gain or loss | State migration | Foreign immigration | Total gain or loss | State migration | Foreign immigration | ||||
White | Colored | White | Colored | ||||||
Alabama | -211 | -98 | -120 | +7 | Nevada | +48 | +35 | +1 | +12 |
Arizona | +98 | +76 | +6 | +16 | New Hampshire | +37 | +4 | --- | +33 |
Arkansas | +2 | -55 | +53 | +4 | New Jersey | +782 | +437 | +37 | +308 |
California | +1,223 | +924 | -26 | +325 | New Mexico | +30 | +17 | +4 | +9 |
Colorado | +252 | +198 | -2 | +56 | New York | +3,769 | +1,980 | +117 | +1,672 |
Connecticut | +438 | +244 | +4 | +190 | North Carolina | -133 | -39 | -99 | +5 |
Delaware | +32 | +7 | +12 | +13 | North Dakota | +157 | +106 | -2 | +53 |
Florida | +118 | +87 | +12 | +19 | Ohio | +1,079 | +555 | +103 | +421 |
Georgia | -38 | +42 | -96 | +16 | Oklahoma | +778 | +677 | +80 | +21 |
Idaho | +101 | +86 | +2 | +13 | Oregon | +130 | +117 | -19 | +32 |
Illinois | +1,417 | +693 | +96 | +628 | Pennsylvania | +2,514 | +1,321 | +148 | +1,045 |
Indiana | +137 | +38 | +17 | +82 | Rhode Island | +154 | +75 | +3 | +76 |
Iowa | -114 | -177 | +13 | +50 | South Carolina | -100 | -3 | -99 | +2 |
Kansas | -7 | -32 | -5 | +30 | South Dakota | +75 | +49 | -2 | +28 |
Kentucky | -288 | -251 | -48 | +11 | Tennessee | -126 | -151 | +20 | +5 |
Louisiana | +10 | +19 | -23 | +14 | Texas | +22 | +2 | -28 | +48 |
Maine | +101 | +42 | --- | +59 | Utah | +28 | +13 | -1 | +16 |
Maryland | +181 | +87 | +45 | +49 | Vermont | +11 | -1 | --- | +12 |
Massachusetts | +896 | +448 | +7 | +441 | Virginia | +138 | +117 | +5 | +16 |
Michigan | +1,033 | +558 | +36 | +439 | Washington | +354 | +273 | --- | +81 |
Minnesota | +381 | +201 | +8 | +172 | West Virginia | +298 | +215 | +43 | +40 |
Mississippi | -131 | -42 | -96 | +7 | Wisconsin | +233 | +80 | +2 | +151 |
Missouri | +171 | +1 | +81 | +89 | Wyoming | +102 | +80 | +2 | +20 |
Montana | +259 | +200 | +4 | +53 | District of Colombia | +111 | +65 | +29 | +17 |
Nebraska | +16 | -40 | +9 | +47 |
aDataunascertained for 2,755 cases.
RACE
Table 32 shows the distribution of neuropsychiatricconditions among the races concerned. From it may be seen the distributionaverages attained by the several races. Table 33 furnishes information in regardto the four foreign-born peoples of which the numbers were adequate. This tableoffers opportunity for comparing the occurrence of neuropsychiatric conditionsbetween the native and foreign born in the four peoples.
The results as to the different races classified worthy ofnotice are summarized below.
AFRICAN (NEGRO)
(Number classified, 8,401)
A high distribution rate of mental defect and a lowdistribution rate of alcoholism is found in this race. The low alcoholicdistribution exists in spite of the fact that the alcoholic habits of Negroesare about the same as of whites. From this comparison it appears that the Negrocan be practically as intemperate as the white man without paying the samepenalty for it. On the other hand, he has a higher ratio of venereal disease.(See Table 25.) By reason of this, it would seem that some modification might bemade in the views of those who place alcohol as the chief factor in the spreadof venereal diseases. A similar, though less marked, resistance to the invasionof the central nervous system by syphilis is shown by the Negro. Amongneuropsychiatric patients the previous history of syphilis was more than threetimes as frequent in the colored asin the whites, but the invasion of the central nervous system was about equal inthe two classes.
212
TABLE 32.-Races of neuropsychiatric cases
Diagnoses | Total | African (Negro) | American Indian | Armenian | Dutch | English | French | German | Greek | Hebrew | Irish | Italian |
Mental deficiency | 21,858 | 4,055 | 78 | 26 | 86 | 2,651 | 274 | 1,217 | 67 | 226 | 936 | 803 |
Psychoneuroses | 11,443 | 1,100 | 6 | 11 | 49 | 1,501 | 174 | 761 | 70 | 331 | 662 | 443 |
Psychoses | 7,910 | 556 | 5 | 10 | 43 | 1,070 | 95 | 552 | 39 | 196 | 524 | 237 |
General paralysis | 530 | 43 | --- | --- | 3 | 74 | 4 | 36 | 3 | 6 | 56 | 12 |
Alcoholic | 292 | 5 | --- | --- | 3 | 23 | --- | 27 | 3 | 1 | 46 | 4 |
Manic-depressive | 1,385 | 81 | --- | --- | 5 | 165 | 18 | 115 | 11 | 41 | 70 | 57 |
Dementia pr?cox | 4,738 | 305 | 5 | 8 | 22 | 705 | 59 | 332 | 20 | 128 | 288 | 133 |
Epileptic | 131 | 19 | --- | --- | --- | 8 | 3 | 3 | --- | 6 | 6 | 7 |
Other forms | 834 | 103 | --- | 2 | 10 | 95 | 11 | 39 | 2 | 14 | 58 | 24 |
Nervous diseases and injuries | 6,916 | 800 | 5 | 8 | 38 | 913 | 102 | 418 | 25 | 98 | 516 | 191 |
Chorea | 264 | 12 | 1 | --- | 3 | 43 | 6 | 14 | --- | 2 | 27 | 3 |
Hemiplegia | 258 | 48 | --- | 1 | 2 | 23 | 8 | 10 | 3 | 5 | 13 | 3 |
Injuries to nervous system | 554 | 126 | 1 | --- | 3 | 61 | 6 | 40 | 3 | 10 | 31 | 15 |
Meningitis | 279 | 37 | --- | --- | 1 | 40 | 6 | 18 | 4 | 2 | 23 | 7 |
Multiple sclerosis | 511 | 28 | --- | --- | 4 | 74 | 11 | 35 | --- | 6 | 41 | 10 |
Neuritis | 222 | 9 | --- | 2 | 3 | 40 | 5 | 16 | --- | 2 | 14 | 13 |
Paralysis | 340 | 58 | --- | --- | 2 | 45 | 5 | 19 | --- | 9 | 13 | 10 |
Poliomyelitis | 211 | 20 | --- | 1 | 1 | 22 | 2 | 15 | 1 | 4 | 10 | 11 |
Sciatica | 137 | 10 | --- | --- | --- | 14 | 2 | 10 | --- | 6 | 17 | 11 |
Syphilis C.N.S. | 2,462 | 301 | 2 | 2 | 12 | 316 | 28 | 125 | 14 | 30 | 212 | 68 |
Tabes dorsalis | 333 | 39 | --- | --- | 3 | 37 | 4 | 16 | --- | 4 | 28 | 8 |
Tic | 200 | 17 | --- | --- | --- | 37 | 6 | 27 | --- | 3 | 9 | 4 |
Tremor | 243 | 31 | --- | --- | --- | 33 | 3 | 17 | --- | --- | 18 | 4 |
Other forms | 902 | 64 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 128 | 10 | 56 | --- | 15 | 60 | 24 |
Epilepsy | 6,388 | 1,115 | 9 | 7 | 34 | 813 | 102 | 321 | 38 | 93 | 366 | 315 |
Constitutional psychopathic states | 6,196 | 255 | 11 | 6 | 33 | 975 | 75 | 433 | 23 | 203 | 497 | 228 |
Endocrinopathies | 4,805 | 299 | 3 | 1 | 34 | 796 | 55 | 474 | 15 | 73 | 287 | 94 |
Drug addiction | 2,020 | 197 | 4 | --- | 5 | 171 | 25 | 70 | 1 | 88 | 222 | 131 |
Alcoholism | 1,858 | 24 | 3 | --- | 6 | 202 | 39 | 105 | 3 | 6 | 452 | 10 |
Total | 69,394 | 8,401 | 124 | 69 | 328 | 9,092 | 941 | 4,351 | 281 | 1,314 | 4,462 | 2,452 |
Diagnoses | Japanese | Mexican | Filipino | Porto Rican | Scand- | Scotch | Slavonian | Spanish | Welsh | Other peoples | Mixed | Race unascer- |
Mental deficiency | --- | 257 | 3 | 1 | 296 | 72 | 915 | 31 | 13 | 237 | 6,490 | 3,124 |
Psychoneuroses | 1 | 16 | --- | 2 | 221 | 106 | 378 | 19 | 16 | 123 | 4,333 | 1,120 |
Psychoses | 1 | 18 | 1 | 2 | 217 | 71 | 358 | 11 | 9 | 84 | 2,889 | 922 |
General paralysis | --- | 1 | --- | --- | 10 | 17 | 17 | --- | 1 | 5 | 164 | 78 |
Alcoholic | --- | --- | --- | --- | 5 | 1 | 14 | --- | --- | 2 | 120 | 38 |
Manic-depressive | --- | 6 | --- | --- | 31 | 11 | 63 | --- | 2 | 13 | 535 | 161 |
Dementia pr?cox | 1 | 10 | --- | 2 | 152 | 36 | 231 | 9 | 5 | 60 | 1,700 | 527 |
Epileptic | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 2 | 2 | --- | --- | --- | 58 | 17 |
Other forms | --- | 1 | 1 | --- | 19 | 4 | 31 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 312 | 101 |
Nervous diseases and injuries | --- | 22 | --- | 3 | 127 | 96 | 181 | 16 | 16 | 62 | 2,406 | 873 |
Chorea | --- | 1 | --- | --- | 6 | 2 | 1 | --- | --- | --- | 111 | 32 |
Hemiplegia | --- | 2 | --- | --- | 4 | 3 | 9 | --- | 1 | 1 | 95 | 27 |
Injuries to nervous system | --- | 2 | --- | --- | 10 | 9 | 15 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 170 | 43 |
Meningitis | --- | 2 | --- | --- | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | --- | 1 | 96 | 33 |
Multiple sclerosis | --- | 1 | --- | --- | 16 | 8 | 18 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 198 | 55 |
Neuritis | --- | 3 | --- | --- | 8 | 5 | 8 | --- | --- | --- | 78 | 16 |
Paralysis | --- | 1 | --- | --- | 5 | 2 | 8 | 1 | --- | 3 | 131 | 28 |
Poliomyelitis | --- | --- | --- | --- | 4 | 3 | 4 | 2 | --- | 3 | 91 | 17 |
Sciatica | --- | 1 | --- | --- | 1 | 3 | 6 | 2 | --- | 1 | 47 | 6 |
Syphilis C.N.S. | --- | 4 | --- | 1 | 44 | 38 | 68 | 5 | 5 | 31 | 802 | 354 |
Tabes dorsalis | --- | --- | --- | 1 | 5 | 3 | 7 | --- | 1 | 2 | 112 | 63 |
Tic | --- | --- | --- | --- | 2 | 2 | 3 | --- | 1 | 4 | 67 | 18 |
Tremor | --- | 1 | --- | --- | 3 | 2 | 5 | --- | --- | 2 | 76 | 48 |
Other forms | --- | 4 | --- | 1 | 15 | 13 | 28 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 332 | 133 |
Epilepsy | --- | 45 | 2 | --- | 85 | 54 | 163 | 13 | 5 | 61 | 2,046 | 701 |
Constitutional psychopathic states | --- | 15 | --- | --- | 105 | 62 | 247 | 12 | 11 | 73 | 2,347 | 585 |
Endocrinopathies | --- | 9 | --- | --- | 132 | 60 | 141 | 1 | 6 | 33 | 1,691 | 601 |
Drug addiction | --- | 2 | --- | --- | 24 | 27 | 29 | 4 | 1 | 10 | 870 | 139 |
Alcoholism | --- | --- | 1 | 1 | 49 | 31 | 62 | 2 | 8 | 12 | 532 | 310 |
Total | 2 | 384 | 7 | 9 | 1,256 | 579 | 2,474 | 109 | 85 | 695 | 23,604 | 8,375 |
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Race | Number classified | Percent of total of each nativity | ||||||||
Mental deficiency | Psycho- | Psychoses | Neurological condition | Epilepsy | Constitutional psychopathic states | Endocrino- | Drug addiction | Alcoholism | ||
Italians: | ||||||||||
American born | 413 | 33.9 | 13.6 | 11.6 | 6.5 | 2.2 | 10.9 | 1.0 | 19.1 | 1.2 |
Foreign born | 2,039 | 32.5 | 19.0 | 9.3 | 8.0 | 15.0 | 9.0 | 4.4 | 2.6 | .2 |
Scandinavians: | ||||||||||
American born | 890 | 26.7 | 17.8 | 15.4 | 9.1 | 6.6 | 8.3 | 11.0 | 2.1 | 2.8 |
Foreign born | 366 | 15.8 | 16.9 | 21.9 | 12.6 | 7.1 | 8.5 | 9.3 | 1.4 | 6.6 |
Irish: | ||||||||||
American born | 4,068 | 21.6 | 14.7 | 10.9 | 11.6 | 8.2 | 11.6 | 6.6 | 5.4 | 9.4 |
Foreign born | 394 | 15.0 | 15.7 | 20.1 | 10.9 | 7.9 | 6.6 | 4.8 | 1.0 | 18.0 |
German: | ||||||||||
American born | 4,164 | 28.1 | 17.6 | 12.3 | 9.6 | 7.3 | 10.1 | 11.0 | 1.6 | 2.4 |
Foreign born | 187 | 25.7 | 15.5 | 21.4 | 10.7 | 8.6 | 7.0 | 7.5 | 1.6 | 2.1 |
TABLE 34.-Races of neuropsychiatric cases.Classification percentage
Race | Total classified | Percent of total of each race | |||||||||
Number | Percent | Mental deficiency | Psycho- | Psychoses | Neuro- | Epilepsy | Consti- | Endocrin- | Drug addiction | Alco- | |
African (Negro) | 8,401 | 12.1 | 48.3 | 13.1 | 6.6 | 9.5 | 13.3 | 3.0 | 3.6 | 2.3 | 0.3 |
American Indian | 124 | .2 | 62.9 | 4.8 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 7.3 | 8.9 | 2.4 | 3.2 | 2.4 |
Armenian | 69 | .1 | 37.7 | 15.9 | 14.5 | 11.6 | 10.1 | 8.7 | 1.4 | --- | --- |
Dutch | 328 | .5 | 26.2 | 14.9 | 13.1 | 11.6 | 10.4 | 10.1 | 10.4 | 1.5 | 1.8 |
English | 9,092 | 13.1 | 29.2 | 16.5 | 11.8 | 10.0 | 8.9 | 10.7 | 8.8 | 1.9 | 2.2 |
French | 941 | 1.4 | 29.1 | 18.5 | 10.1 | 10.8 | 10.8 | 8.0 | 5.8 | 2.7 | 4.1 |
German | 4,351 | 6.3 | 28.0 | 17.5 | 12.7 | 9.6 | 7.4 | 10.0 | 10.9 | 1.6 | 2.4 |
Greek | 281 | .4 | 23.8 | 24.9 | 13.9 | 8.9 | 13.5 | 8.2 | 5.3 | .4 | 1.1 |
Hebrew | 1,314 | 1.9 | 17.2 | 25.2 | 14.9 | 7.5 | 7.1 | 15.4 | 5.6 | 6.7 | .5 |
Irish | 4,462 | 6.4 | 21.0 | 14.8 | 11.7 | 11.6 | 8.2 | 11.1 | 6.4 | 5.0 | 10.1 |
Italian | 2,452 | 3.5 | 32.7 | 18.1 | 9.7 | 7.8 | 12.8 | 9.3 | 3.8 | 5.3 | .4 |
Mexican | 384 | .6 | 66.9 | 4.2 | 4.7 | 5.7 | 11.7 | 3.9 | 2.3 | .5 | --- |
Scandinavian | 1,256 | 1.8 | 23.6 | 17.6 | 17.3 | 10.1 | 6.8 | 8.4 | 10.5 | 1.9 | 3.9 |
Scotch | 579 | .8 | 12.4 | 18.3 | 12.3 | 16.6 | 9.3 | 10.7 | 10.4 | 4.7 | 5.4 |
Slavonian | 2,474 | 3.6 | 37.0 | 15.3 | 14.5 | 7.3 | 6.6 | 10.0 | 5.7 | 1.2 | 2.5 |
Spanish | 109 | .2 | 28.4 | 17.4 | 10.1 | 14.7 | 11.9 | 11.0 | .9 | 3.7 | 1.8 |
Welsh | 85 | .1 | 15.3 | 18.8 | 10.6 | 18.8 | 5.9 | 12.9 | 7.1 | 1.2 | 9.4 |
Mixed | 23,604 | 34.0 | 27.5 | 18.4 | 12.2 | 10.2 | 8.7 | 9.9 | 7.2 | 3.7 | 2.3 |
Other peoples | 713 | 1.0 | 33.8 | 17.7 | 12.3 | 9.1 | 8.8 | 10.2 | 4.6 | 1.4 | 2.0 |
Race unascertained | 8,375 | 12.1 | 37.3 | 13.4 | 11.0 | 10.4 | 8.4 | 7.0 | 7.2 | 1.7 | 3.7 |
Total cases | 69,394 | 100.0 | 31.5 | 16.5 | 11.4 | 10.0 | 9.2 | 8.9 | 6.9 | 2.9 | 2.7 |
With the exception of mental deficiency and epilepsy, the Negro falls belowall United States distribution averages. He is especially low in psychoses,constitutional psychopathic states, and alcoholism. In the psychoneuroses, theNegro presents distinct differences from the white man. He is more prone tohysteria than to neurasthenia, and stammering is nearly twice as frequent with him as is neurasthenia. The psychological mechanism of thedisorder is simple, as these conditions in Negroes were identified morefrequently by examining and discharging officers. In Negroes the psychoneurosesoccurred more frequently in the younger age groups than in the whites. TheNegro is given to early marriage, lives more in the country, and contends withespecially unfavorable circumstances as concerns education and modern standardsof' living.
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AMERICAN INDIAN
(Number classified, 124)
The American Indian is primitive, like the Negro, and exceedseven the latter in mental deficiency. He is not so much below the average inalcoholism or drug addiction as the Negro, but is somewhat below him inepilepsy. In other neuropsychiatric conditions the Indian falls below all UnitedStates averages.
As concerns non-native races, it should be remembered thatthe information which follows stands by itself, and is not supplemented by anyfacts as to the circumstances of residence of these races in this country, noras to the causes of their immigration or nature of occupation. There is noinformation as to whether these individuals are representative of the same racesliving at home.
Comparison can be made also between the native born and theforeign born of the different races given in Table 33. Certain definitevariations are noticeable; for example, practically all native born are moreaddicted to the use of drugs than are the foreign born. The influence of thiscountry seems to arouse a drug inebriety or to convert an alcoholic inebrietyinto a drug inebriety. Similarly, foreigners seem to undergo a decrease ininsanity from residence in this country.
TABLE 35.-Foreign-born neuropsychiatric cases, by countries of birth
Country of birth | Number classified | Percent of total of each nativity | ||||||||
Mental deficiency | Psycho- | Psychoses | Neuro- | Epilepsy | Consti- | Endo- | Drug addiction | Alco- | ||
Austria-Hungary | 462 | 31.8 | 14.9 | 19.0 | 5.6 | 11.0 | 8.7 | 6.5 | 1.1 | 1.3 |
Canada | 337 | 21.4 | 16.6 | 13.4 | 12.8 | 9.2 | 10.1 | 4.5 | 3.0 | 9.2 |
Denmark, Norway, Sweden | 366 | 15.8 | 16.9 | 21.9 | 12.6 | 7.1 | 8.5 | 9.3 | 1.4 | 6.6 |
England, Scotland, Wales | 323 | 9.3 | 24.5 | 12.1 | 12.4 | 8.4 | 15.2 | 5.0 | 3.1 | 10.2 |
France | 49 | 20.4 | 16.3 | 10.2 | 24.5 | 14.3 | 8.2 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
Germany | 187 | 25.7 | 15.5 | 21.4 | 10.7 | 8.6 | 7.0 | 7.5 | 1.6 | 2.1 |
Greece | 242 | 24.0 | 23.1 | 15.3 | 9.1 | 14.5 | 7.4 | 6.2 | .4 | --- |
Holland | 50 | 18.0 | 16.0 | 24.0 | 4.0 | 20.0 | 8.0 | 8.0 | --- | 2.0 |
Ireland | 394 | 15.0 | 15.7 | 20.1 | 10.9 | 7.9 | 6.6 | 4.8 | 1.0 | 18.0 |
Italy | 2,039 | 32.5 | 19.0 | 9.3 | 8.0 | 15.0 | 9.0 | 4.4 | 2.6 | .2 |
Poland | 331 | 43.5 | 15.1 | 13.0 | 6.9 | 6.9 | 9.1 | 4.2 | .3 | .9 |
Russia | 1,675 | 32.1 | 21.1 | 15.3 | 7.2 | 5.7 | 11.3 | 4.4 | 1.4 | 1.5 |
Switzerland | 31 | 6.5 | 22.6 | 25.8 | 9.7 | 9.7 | 6.5 | 9.7 | --- | 9.7 |
Others | 772 | 28.9 | 17.5 | 17.2 | 9.5 | 9.6 | 11.1 | 3.6 | .8 | 1.8 |
DUTCH
(Number classified, 328)
The Dutch come near the United States average in almost all groups. Theydrink more than they take drugs, but in both are below the United Statesaverages. They have a few less neurotics and a few more of the other classifieddisorders, except mental deficiency, alcoholism, and drug addiction.
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ENGLISH
(Number classified, 9,092)
The English, like the Dutch, approximate the United Statesaverage in practically all groups. They are more inclined to drink than to takedrugs, and have a slight excess of epilepsy, endocrine disturbances, andconstitutional psychopathic states. They just reach the United States averagefor mental defect.
FRENCH
(Number classified, 941)
The French show rather a high total of inebriety, being abovethe average in alcoholism, and only a little below it in drugs, their totalinebriety percentage being 6.8 Percent as compared with 4.1 Percent forEnglish, and 4 Percent for the Germans. They also exceed the average inpsychoneuroses, neurological conditions, and epilepsy. They are considerablybelow the average in endocrine disorders and constitutional psychopathic states,and are about equal to the United States average for mental defect. The excessof inebriety in the French may surprise many, as the French are said to be awine-drinking people, and it is a common belief that wine-drinking people do notsuffer from alcoholism. As a matter of fact, alcoholism depends more upon theamount of absolute alcohol imbibed than upon the form in which it is taken. Ifenough wine or beer or any other beverage with comparatively low alcohol contentis taken, a person becomes alcoholic.
AMERICAN-BORN GERMAN
(Number classified, 4,164)
In spite of his reputed beer-drinking customs, the nativeGerman fails to reach the United States average in alcoholism, and is not muchgiven to drugs. On the other hand, he exceeds, slightly, the United Statesaverage in psychoses, psychoneuroses, and constitutional psychopathic states,and by 3.6 Percent in endocrine troubles. He is slightly below United Statesaverage in mental defect.
FOREIGN-BORN GERMAN
(Number classified, 187)
The foreign-born German shows a much higherrate for insanity than the native born, and one considerably lower in endocrinetroubles and mental defect.
GREEK
(Number classified, 281)
The Greeks are very low in inebriety, especially as concernsdrugs, but exceed the United States average in epilepsy, the psychoses, and thepsychoneuroses, an excess particularly noticeable in epilepsy and thepsychoneuroses. They are well below the average in mental defect andconstitutional psychopathic states.
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HEBREW
(Number classified, 1,314)
The American-born Hebrew shows a very striking contrast inhis habits of inebriety as far as the choice of alcohol and drugs is concerned.The number of Hebrew alcoholics is almost negligible, while the percentage ofdrug addicts is more than double the United States rate. The Hebrew is also lowin neurological conditions, epilepsy, endocrine disturbances, and mentaldeficiency. The low percentage of mental defect is particularly striking; theonly classified races which show less being the Scotch. The Hebrew exceeds, onthe other hand, the average representation in the conditions characterized byemotional instability. He is nearly 3 Percent above the United States averagefor insanity, and is very much above it in the psychoneuroses and theconstitutional psychopathic states.
AMERICAN-BORN IRISH
(Number classified, 4,068)
The American-born Irish show the most pronounced tendency toinebriety of any racial group except the foreign-born Irish, and theirintemperance relates to both alcohol and drugs. Inebriety constitutes 14.8 Percent of all their neuropsychiatric disorders. Although they are less thanone-sixteenth of all the neuropsychiatric cases, the native-born Irishcontribute more than one-fifth of all the cases of alcoholism identified by theneuropsychiatric examiners and more than one-tenth of all the cases of drugaddiction. With the exception of inebriety, neurological conditions, andconstitutional psychopathic states, they sink below all United States averages.They are so far below this average in mental defect that they confirm thegeneral law of the incompatibility of alcoholism and mental defect. They alsofurnish an interesting example of a high distribution of alcoholism with anunderaverage of mental disease. It would seem that if alcoholism were animportant cause of insanity, one would find an excess of it, instead of anunderaverage in a group so given to alcoholic intemperance as this one is. Butin this connection it should be remembered that drafted men, as a class, were too young to have developed alcoholicinsanity.
The Irish offer an interesting comparison with the English.They have more inebriety by 11 Percent and less mental defect by 8.2 Percent.The excess of alcoholism and the lesser amount of mental defect would show themto be a livelier, more excitable race than the English, which is rather borne outby theirhaving a slight excess of constitutional psychopaths than the English.
FOREIGN-BORN IRISH
(Number classified, 394)
The foreign-born Irish have a distribution rate of mentaldefect 6.6 Percent lower than that for the native. They have also a lowerdistribution rate of constitutional psychopathic states and endocrine troubles.Insanity and inebriety are much higher among them than among those born in thiscountry. Inebriety changes both in extent and in its own distribution.There is a lessened total rate of inebriety by 4.2 Percent among the native, and even a greater falling off in the distribution rateof alcoholism. Nearly one-half of the decrease
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in alcoholism isaccounted for by an increase in drug addiction among thenative born. It would seem at first sight that the lowering of the distributionrate for insanity among the native-born Irish was to be connected with thelowering of the alcohol rate, but it should be observed that a similar decreasein insanity distribution occurs in the German native born as compared withforeign born, with an increase inalcoholism, and a smaller decrease in insanity among Scandinavian native born,with a large decrease in the alcohol rate.
AMERICAN-BORN ITALIANS
(Number classified, 413)
The native Italians present a distribution ofneuropsychiatric disorders which indicates a sluggish, backward mentality. Asdrug addicts they have a much larger percentage than the Jews, and like the Jewsare little given to alcoholic inebriety. Some races, such as the Jews and theIrish, seem to be able to surpass the average in drug inebriety, and still,through the low percentage of other disorders which indicate racialbackwardness, retain the characteristics of nimble-minded people. For example,the Irish, while they are excessive drug users, are more given to intemperancein alcohol than in drugs; and of the two, alcoholic intemperance seems toindicate a more active mentality than does the secret and solitary use of drugs.Both Irish and Jews, while exceeding the average for drugs, are far below it inmental defect. But the Italians make the poorer choice for the satisfaction oftheir inebriate tendencies; and in addition to that show their racialbackwardness by a preponderance of those other disorders which must be acceptedas indicative of inferiority. In mental defect the native Italians exceed theUnited States average rate by 4.7 Percent, but in epilepsy they fall below theUnited States average by 6.4 Percent. In respect to the distribution ofneuropsychiatric defects in general, they manifest a remarkable correlation withthe two primitive races, the Negro and the American Indians. All three have anexcess of mental deficiency and are below the average in mental diseases. Allthese are low in endocrine troubles, and take drugs more than they drink.
FOREIGN-BORN ITALIANS
(Number classified, 2,039)
The foreign-born Italian shows considerable variation fromthe native in the distribution of neuropsychiatric disorders. The rate forepilepsy and psychoneuroses is much higher among the foreign born, but the ratefor drug addiction is higher among the native, as in fact it is among all thenative-born European races except the Germans, where the two percentages areequal.
MEXICANS
(Number classified, 384)
Of all the races classified the Mexicans have the highestrate for mental defect, 66.9 Percent. They exceed even the Negroes and AmericanIndians. As all percentages arebased on the total neuropsychiatric cases from each race, it is evident thatwhen two-thirds of the total is taken up by a single condition the percentagesof the other eight conditions must be low. So it is with the
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Mexicans. With thesingle exception of epilepsy, they are below the United States average in allother neuropsychiatric groups. There was not a single alcoholic among them, andonly two drug addicts, as contrasted with 45 epileptics and 257 mentaldefectives.
MIXED RACES
(Number classified, 23,604)
The mixed races include those whose ancestors were ofdifferent races. This group, of course, includes most "Americans." Thelarge number (almost one-third of the total cases) makes this groupfundamentally important in the establishment of the United States average.
AMERICAN-BORN SCANDINAVIANS
(Number classified, 890)
Native Scandinavians (Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Icelandic)show an excess of mental disturbances and endocrine troubles. They slightlyexceed the United States average of psychoneuroses. They are well below theaverage in mental defect and in epilepsy.
FOREIGN-BORN SCANDINAVIANS
(Number classified, 366)
The foreign-born Scandinavians show much less mentaldeficiency than those born here, and, strangely enough, less endocrinopathy. Onthe other hand, they show an excessive percentage of alcoholism and insanity ascompared with the American born.
SCOTCH
(Number classified, 579)
The Scotch exceed the United States average in all groupsexcept that of mental deficiency. The mental deficiency rate is lower than thatof any other race and is 16.8 below the United States average. The inebriety ishigh; but, as in all races which have a low mental-deficiency rate, alcoholismexceeds drug taking.
SLAVONIC
(Number classified, 2,474)
This racial classification includes Bohemian, Bosnian,Croatian, Dalmatian, Herzegovinian, Montenegrin, Moravian, Polish, Russian,Ruthenian, Serbian, Slovak, and Slovenian. The Slays have a highmental-deficiency rate, in spite of which their inebriety is alcoholic ratherthan narcotic. Both varieties of inebriety are below the United States average.The comparative infrequency of epilepsy is worthy of remark, especially in viewof the high mental deficiency. In spite also of the sluggishness indicated bythe excess of mental deficiency, they have an emotional sphere of some activity,as is shown by the excess of psychoses among them.
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CORRELATIONS OF NEUROPSYCHIATRIC WITH OTHER CLINICALCONDITIONS
In the following pages, in which the nine different clinicalgroups are described in detail, it appears that a certain "antagonism"exists between some of the different clinical conditions. That is, where a givencondition exists in excess, other conditions vary in a way that can notaltogether be explained by the variations inevitable in a method of distributionpercentage average of the preponderance on one condition over another. Forexample, the variations between mental defect and alcoholism are constant: Whereone rises, the other falls. With these two this relationship or antagonism isconstant as concerns States' populations and native and foreign born races. Itis believed that the connections of these two conditions have a certainsignificance as to the environmental condition, perhaps of the traits ofcharacter of the peoples concerned. Drug addiction, the psychoses, andendocrinopathies showed a similar disharmony with mental defect, though not soconclusively as with alcoholism. Efforts to establish correlations between thepsychoneuroses and constitutional psychopathic states have been less successful.There seems to be no correlation of symptoms between the psychoneuroses and theendocrine group. The character of epilepsy in this respect is that it so nearlycorresponds in both states and races with the United States average. This matterwill be considered in more detail below under the separate captions.
MENTAL DEFECT
The outstanding features in regard to mental defect, asrevealed by the statistics herein, are its wide distribution throughout theUnited States, with an especial excess in the Negro and the American Indian;its apparent antagonism to alcoholism, in that in the communities and raceswhere it exceeds the United States distribution average, alcoholism falls belowit, and vice versa.
It is a definite clinical entity, classifiable and distinctfrom insanity or any other of thedifferent neuropsychiatric conditions, and is a result of a failure ofdevelopment of the mentality up to a capacity which, as we are dealing only withadults, we may call adult capacity. Among its chief characteristics are lack ofinitiative, undue suggestibility, and lack of ability in meeting new situations.
The distribution of mental deficiency is postulated as anindex of general intelligence, because where it is widely distributed theaverage intelligence can hardly fail to be lowered thereby. The standard ofintelligence is lowered not only by the actual mental defectives, but by thenumber of dull people which the existence of mental defect implies. The standardof mental defect employed in the Army-i. e., a mentality not exceeding that ofa child of 8 years6-implies a degree of incompetency so profoundthat the individual, whatever his race or surroundings, could not be counted onto take care of himself. Such a degree of inferiority is found in only arelatively small number of any race or people, but its occurrence has a directbearing on the general intelligence and educability of the people in whom itoccurs. It is probable that for every case of mental defect of the 8-year-oldmentality standard, there are at least 10 cases of backward or retardedmentality.
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In addition to the lowering of the general intelligencethrough a high proportion of mental defectives, together with the dullards whichgo along with them, the quality of the general intelligence is further impairedby the reduction in the chances of the existence of persons of superiorintelligence.
The significance of a high proportion of distinctly inferiorpersons in a community becomes apparent when different countries, and especiallywhen different races, are compared. For example, as concerns mental defect, theAmerican Indian presents a distribution rate of more than double, and the Negroa rate little less than double, that of the rate among whites over the wholeUnited States. This in itself is enough to explain the inability of the tworaces to compete with the average American. The Mexican living in the UnitedStates presents an even higher rate for mental defect (66.9 Percent) but forthem, as in fact for all races which may have immigrated here within recentyears, we can draw no such general conclusions as we can for the indigenousIndian and Negro. The most that can be said for the foreign races which presenta high distribution rate for mental defect, such as the Slavs (37 Percent) andthe Italians (32.7 Percent) is that the ones living here now are distinctlybelow the average United States intelligence. It would be impossible to inferthat these races at home present the same degree of mental inferiority.
The extreme dissemination of so disabling a condition asmental defect throughout men of military age marks this subject as the mostimportant department of public mental hygiene. The combined totals of the draftand camp examinations shows that it existed to such an extent that theindividual was unfit as a soldier in 12.06 out of every 1,000 men examined.There were registered 10,101,506 men between the ages of 21 and 31 years, andthe ratio of 12.06 per 1,000 gives for this number 121,824 unfit from mentaldefect, in this registrant class.
The ratio considered above includes only men who wererejected for military service. In addition there must be considered the numberwho were discharged on this account after they had entered the Army. This numberwas 10,648, or a ratio of 2.60 per 1,000.
If mental deficiency ran uniformly among persons of all agesand of both sexes, there would be, on the basis of 100,000,000 population,1,218,000 mental defectives in the United States. This number would be anunderstatement, however, because, while the distribution of mental defect in thetwo sexes is about equal, many defectives die before reaching the age period onwhich the estimates are based. Also,inasmuch as the standard of rejection in the Army was low, and as for everyrejection there were accepted, without question, several dull, stupid,border-line type recruits, it is easy to see that the figures of 1,218,000 mustbe multiplied several times before the full significance to the country of thecondition is realized.
The general disadvantages of having mental defectives in anarmy are obvious. Their inability to learn and understand orders interferes withthe training of normal recruits. Their lack of judgment makes them unfitted toaccept responsibility. Their failure to reach normal standards and theirundeveloped sense of obligation is a constant source of difficulty andfrequently
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brings them into the military courts. Of the disciplinarycases reported by neuropsychiatrists 42.3 Percent were mental defectives.
When, after the war, disabled ex-soldiers came under thecharge of the Bureau of War Risk Insurance, the mental defectives had almostdisappeared as hospital inmates. The explanation for this may be that they didnot require hospital care, or that they had gone back to work for theirfamilies, chiefly on farms, or that they lacked the enterprise to requesthospitalization.
CLASSIFICATION
In the classification of the mental defectives discovered inthe Army, conventional terms were employed (see Table 6); an imbecile wasconsidered as one capable of guarding himself against common physical danger,but incapable of earning a living; a moron as one capable of earning a livingunder favorable circumstances, but incapable of competing on equal terms withhis normal fellows.
No idiot came under the observation of the neuropsychiatricofficers, and, among the whites, morons constituted approximately two-thirds ofthe mental defectives and imbeciles one-third. The negroes showed a higherpercentage of grave defects, as among them the imbeciles constituted 47.7 Percent of the cases and the morons, or higher grades, sank to 50 Percent with 0.8Percent border-line cases. Of the cases rejected at local boards, as reportedin the report of the Provost Marshal General, no classification as to mentalgrade was made. The present statistics refer to a definite group, and so it isnot possible to compare the classification derived from them withclassifications obtained in civil life.
METHODS OF DISCOVERING CASES
Twenty-eight Percent of the mental defectives discoveredwere referred by medical officers, and 26 Percent by line officers, notablycompany commanders. (See Table 8.) They were referred chiefly because they couldnot understand or learn. These two percentages disclose the satisfactorycooperation that existed between the specialists and the officers of the Army asa whole. As far as medical officers were concerned, any doubt that may haveexisted in their minds as to the nature of the diagnosis was relieved by theconsultation, so that they could proceed confidently to the necessary steps fordischarge on account of disability. Hospital beds were thereby relieved.
In connection with examinations made of members of the Armyby the psychologists, all men falling into the lowest group as a result of thepsychological examinations were to be referred to the psychiatrist as suitablefor discharge. Information as to the exact number of cases so referred has notbeen obtainable. Partial reports of the section of psychology of the SurgeonGeneral's Office give the number as 4,555 from the examination of 1,147,829 men. If a man was considered unfit for service afterreceiving a psychiatric examination he was recommended for discharge by thepsychiatrist and the case was reported to the Office of the Surgeon General onForms 89 and 90 Medical Department, from which the statistical data of thisstudy have been compiled. According
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to the available records, specific recommendations were madeby the psychiatrists on only 936 of the cases referred. Of this number, 175cases, or 18.7 Percent, were found to be not mental defectives. These 175 caseswere diagnosed as follows: Psychoneuroses, 45; psychoses, 28; constitutionalpsychopathic states, 26; nervous disease and injuries, 29; endocrinopathies, 23;epilepsy, 22; and drug addiction, 2.
LENGTH OF SERVICE PRIOR TO DISCOVERY
Prior to the expiration of the average training period,18,858, or about 86 Percent of the total number of mental defectives, had beenidentified. (See Table 10.) There were 1,475 mental defectives recorded at BaseHospital No. 214, the one central receiving point for such cases in the AmericanExpeditionary Forces.2 Many of these probably were border-line cases. Of the1,475 reported as admitted to Base Hospital No. 214 as mental defectives, only762 reached the ports of the United States under that diagnosis. Many of theothers may have been put back on a duty status, after treatment in hospital andsubsidence of the reactionary episode-so common among the feebleminded understrain and excitement-that caused their admission.
A higher percentage of colored casesthan of white ones was discovered in the first three months and a lower oneafter the first six months.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR DISPOSITION
Table 12 shows that only 206 cases, or 1 Percent of thoseidentified, were recommended for full duty. Mental defect was one of theneuropsychiatric conditions for which limited service was allowable, and 2,791,or 12.8 Percent, such recommendations were made. Labor battalions wereregarded as organizations where the Negro, for limited service, could do well,and so a higher percentage of Negroes (16.4 Percent) were recommended forlimited service than whites (11.9 Percent). The proverbial freedom fromphysical illness of mental defectives is substantiated by the fact that only 76cases (0.3 Percent) were retained in the hospital for treatment.
DELINQUENCY
Of the total number of mental deficiency cases, 562 white and71 colored men, or 3 Percent, were referred to the neuropsychiatric officersfor opinion as to the causes of misconduct. Mental deficiency heads the list ofneuropsychiatric conditions found among the men tried for military offenses,constituting 40.5 Percent of the white and 64 Percent of the colored. But alarger percentage of constitutional psychopaths and insane were delinquent thanof mental defectives.
Mental deficiency was not so frequent among theneuropsychiatric prisoners at Fort Leavenworth as it was among delinquents inthe camps. This fact may indicate that the mental defectives are in general thepetty offenders and the individuals who commit chiefly misdemeanors.
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Neuropathic taint in family | Number of cases | Number of relatives | ||||
Fathers | Mothers | Grandparents | Siblingsa | Collateralsb | ||
White | ||||||
Nervous disease | 2,967 | 686 | 1,542 | 79 | 1,419 | 376 |
Mental disease | 2,146 | 353 | 403 | 194 | 650 | 972 |
Inebriety | 2,630 | 1,963 | 55 | 55 | 781 | 446 |
Mental deficiency | 1,478 | 244 | 243 | 9 | 1,339 | 151 |
Total | 9,221 | 3,246 | 2,243 | 337 | 4,189 | 1,945 |
Colored | ||||||
Nervous disease | 489 | 110 | 196 | 32 | 399 | 139 |
Mental disease | 709 | 83 | 113 | 52 | 264 | 432 |
Inebriety | 398 | 248 | 18 | 8 | 196 | 87 |
Mental deficiency | 274 | 32 | 36 | 3 | 292 | 52 |
Total | 1,870 | 473 | 363 | 95 | 1,151 | 710 |
| 11,091 | 3,719 | 2,606 | 432 | 5,340 | 2,655 |
aSiblings include brothers andsisters.
bCollaterals include uncles, aunts, and cousins.
FAMILY HISTORY
The information covering family history is open to thecriticism that it was furnished by a class of patients less qualified to beaccurate about such matters than most representatives of the neuropsychiatricgroup. (See Tables 13 to 17.) Mental defectives, when questioned about theirforbears, may well be suspected of not having the knowledge that would enablethem to give correct answers. They might and probably would know if members ofthe immediate family had been in an institution, but otherwise would be unawareof the existence of psychiatric conditions. This would be particularly the casefor histories of mental deficiency itself which, in certain sections of thecountry, exists as a family characteristic and so would not be remarked bymembers of the family. This probably accounts for the relatively few instancesof mental defect in forbears, as shown in Table 17. About four-fifths of thehistories recorded data on these several points. Psychopathic inheritanceexisted in a little more than one-half of the whites and a little less thanone-half of the colored.
Table 36 shows the large number of mothers among both thewhite and colored who had nervous diseases; also the large number of inebriates,chiefly alcoholics, among the fathers. Mental disease and defects are aboutequally balanced between fathers and mothers among both the white and colored.
The same table shows the large number of brothers and sisters-listedin the table as siblings-who were victims of nervous disease and mentaldefect. This appears to be true for both the white and colored. Mental diseasesalso ran high among the brothers and sisters of the colored mental defectives.The table also shows the small number of mental defectives and the large numberof cases of mental disease among collateral relatives.
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AGE
Relatively few of the colored cases were found to be under 20years of age, the greater percentage being between the ages of 20 and 25 years.(See Table 20.) As already stated, of the men placed in Class I between the agesof 21 and 29 years, 62 Percent were between the ages of 21 and 24 and 38 Percent between the ages of 25 and 29. The corresponding percentages for the casesof mental deficiency are 59.4 and 40.6. The difference of less than 3 Percentwould probably justify the conclusion that between the ages of 21 and 29 thereis no difference of significance between the ages of a group of mentaldefectives and normal individuals.
When the ages of mental defectives are compared with theother groups of neuropsychiatricdisorders, especially those which had a definite time of beginning, differentconclusions appear. About 9 Percent of the white mental-deficiency caseswere under 20 years of age, which percentage is the largest for any group,constitutional psychopaths and epileptics standing next in order of frequency.The percentage of white mental defectives over 30 years of age was smaller thanfor any other group except the endocrinopathies. The percentage of whiteepileptics over 30 was very slightly larger than that of the mental defectives.Among the other groups, the percentages of individuals over 30 years of age ranfrom 5 to over 50 Percent higher than the percentage for the mental defectives.
EDUCATION
Mental defectives, as might be expected, made the poorestshowing in regard to education of any of the neuropsychiatric groups. (SeeTable 23.) The subject is best considered in connection with Table 22, preparedfrom certain selected examinations made by the psychological examiners, whichindicates the results of their inquiries into the education of drafted men as awhole. One is struck, first of all, by the great difference between theeducation given the normal and that given the defective. In considering thedisparity between the two, it should be borne in mind that the class here underdiscussion is composed of the higher grades of defectives, many of whom are, incertain respects, educable. Yet one-third of the whites and two-thirds of thecolored had no education at all. No effort, apparently, was made to keep them inschool. Fifty-nine Percent of the defectives had had some schooling, but only asmall number reached high school, and the only college representatives werefound in the officers' training camps.
The difference in the efforts at education of the Negroes ascompared with the whites is conspicuous. The fact that such a large number ofthe negroes received no education may account in part for the large numberreported by the psychologists as being defective.
ECONOMIC CONDITION
The numbers of the white and the colored mental defectives inmarginal circumstances were larger than the numbers for any other group. (SeeTable 24.) This would be expected, since mental defectives have low earningpower and lack ordinary prudence.
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HISTORY OF VENEREAL DISEASES
Table 25 shows that there were relatively fewinstances of preexisting venereal diseases among mentaldefectives. This corresponds with civil experience as concerns mentallydefective males, as the sexual instincts are frequently dormant in theseindividuals. The rate of admission of the existence of infections of some kindwas about four times as high among the colored as among white mentaldefectives. The rate of syphilitic infection being about eight times and that ofgonorrheal infections about four times as high.
Among the mentally defective whites the percentage for allvenereal diseases was lower than among any other group of neuropsychiatricdisorders; for example, it was 12.8 Percent among white defectives and 54.2 Percent among white drug addicts; among the colored the percentage was lower thanfor any other group of colored except that of alcoholism, of which latterconditions the numbers were too small for the computation of rates.
The rate of syphilitic infections among the mentallydefective whites was relatively low; it was equaled, however, in the endocrinegroup and was not much smaller than the rates for the epileptics and thepsychoneurotics. Among the colored mentally defective the rate for syphiliticinfections was lower than for any other group except that of the psychoneuroses.Gonorrheal infections were comparatively infrequent among the white mentaldefectives; among the colored the rate was higher for mental defectives thanthose for the groups of alcoholism and psychoses.
ALCOHOLIC HABITS
There is practically no difference between the white andcolored cases of mental deficiency, in so far as alcoholic habits are concerned.(See Table 26.) The percentage of moderate drinkers for both white and coloredmental defectives is slightly larger than the percentage for allneuropsychiatric cases. The mental defective group ranked sixth in order offrequency as to intemperance.
MARITAL STATUS
Including the widowed and divorced, 15.7 Percent of mentaldefectives were married, which is a slightly higher percentage than that (13.2Percent) found among the total of Class I men, and a lower percentage than thatof neuropsychiatric cases generally, 19.1 Percent. (See Table 27.) Thepercentage of marriage was about three times as great among the coloreddefectives as among the white, but even in them the percentage was smaller thanfor any other colored group, except alcoholism.
As a class, defectives show less matrimonial inclinationsthan any other neuropsychiatric individuals. This is in contradiction to thecommon theory that lack of general intelligence is the chief factor in earlymarriage. Inasmuch as the mental defectives married relatively less than theother neuropsychiatric groups, and groups in which temperamental instability isconspicuous, it would seem that the explanation of early marriage would be foundin the sphere of the emotions rather than in that of the intelligence. Therelative number
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divorced among defectives was also lower than for any other group, except theendocrine group, although among Negro defectives it was higher than that for thegroup of epilepsy, endocrine disorders, drug addicts, insane, or constitutional psychopathic states.
HOME ENVIRONMENT-URBAN OR RURAL
While 51 Percent of the population of the United Statesresides in communities of 2,500 or more (United States Census, 1920), onlyone-third of the mental defectives of the Army came from such urban communities. (See Table 28.) The rate of mental defectives fromruralenvironment is higher among the colored than among the whites. This is accountedfor by the excess of rural residence of the former.
Of all the neuropsychiatric conditions, mental defect was theonly one for which the percentage of cases coming from rural districts exceededthe percentage of the population residing in rural districts. The generalexplanation is that the great flocking to the cities, so characteristic ofmodern times, is a movement carried out by the more progressive of thecommunity.
STATE OF RESIDENCE (WITH GAIN OR LOSS FROM IMMIGRATION ORMIGRATION)
Among the whites for the entire United States mentaldeficiency constituted 29.2 Percent of all neuropsychiatric disorders. (SeeTable 37.) In 19 States (Table 38) the percentages are larger than for theUnited States as a whole.
TABLE 37.-State of residence ofmental defectives. Percentagesa
State of residence | White | Colored | State of residence | White | Colored | ||||
Number | Percent | Number | Percent | Number | Percent | Number | Percent | ||
Alabama | 397 | 36.0 | 656 | 66.4 | New Hampshire | 36 | 27.7 | --- | --- |
Arizona | 18 | 15.0 | 1 | 16.6 | New Jersey | 393 | 27.6 | 13 | 21.0 |
Arkansas | 384 | 43.7 | 231 | 62.4 | New Mexico | 210 | 61.2 | --- | --- |
California | 377 | 22.0 | 5 | 14.3 | New York | 1,271 | 19.8 | 47 | 29.2 |
Colorado | 120 | 24.8 | --- | --- | North Carolina | 651 | 46.7 | 154 | 40.8 |
Connecticut | 163 | 26.7 | 6 | 46.2 | North Dakota | 101 | 38.5 | --- | --- |
Delaware | 21 | 22.8 | 15 | 37.5 | Ohio | 901 | 23.9 | 57 | 33.5 |
Florida | 152 | 31.1 | 15 | 11.5 | Oklahoma | 398 | 33.3 | 95 | 57.9 |
Georgia | 511 | 33.3 | 141 | 31.7 | Oregon | 55 | 18.1 | --- | --- |
Idaho | 44 | 26.7 | --- | --- | Pennsylvania | 1,522 | 27.0 | 119 | 42.0 |
Illinois | 791 | 19.9 | 60 | 41.1 | Rhode Island | 65 | 29.2 | 4 | 40.0 |
Indiana | 417 | 23.3 | 14 | 32.6 | South Carolina | 318 | 43.4 | 219 | 40.0 |
Iowa | 239 | 25.3 | 3 | 12.5 | South Dakota | 101 | 333.1 | --- | --- |
Kansas | 197 | 21.6 | 11 | 21.6 | Tennessee | 570 | 43.0 | 501 | 71.8 |
Kentucky | 771 | 41.1 | 67 | 38.5 | Texas | 414 | 25.5 | 114 | 33.4 |
Louisiana | 275 | 28.7 | 332 | 48.3 | Utah | 31 | 20.5 | --- | --- |
Maine | 202 | 51.5 | --- | --- | Vermont | 38 | 33.6 | 1 | 100.0 |
Maryland | 396 | 44.9 | 319 | 74.4 | Virginia | 656 | 45.5 | 280 | 48.6 |
Massachusetts | 400 | 25.7 | 7 | 33.3 | Washington | 115 | 26.1 | 2 | 100.0 |
Michigan | 623 | 29.2 | 15 | 32.6 | West Virginia | 469 | 38.6 | 30 | 37.5 |
Minnesota | 262 | 22.2 | 1 | 9.1 | Wisconsin | 363 | 27.0 | 1 | 25.0 |
Mississippi | 308 | 35.4 | 328 | 44.6 | Wyoming | 25 | 21.7 | --- | --- |
Missouri | 922 | 33.8 | 68 | 24.4 | District of Columbia | 26 | 16.1 | 48 | 52.7 |
Montana | 45 | 16.7 | 1 | 25.0 | State unascertained and others | 901 | --- | 73 | --- |
Nebraska | 125 | 25.1 | 1 | 9.1 | United States | 17,803 | 29.2 | 4,055 | 48.3 |
Nevada | 11 | 18.3 | --- | --- |
aPercentages are based on the total neuropsychiatric cases of each color fromeach State.
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State of residence | Mental deficiency | Psycho- | Psychoses | Neuro- | Epilepsy | Constitutional psycho- | Endo- | Drug addiction | Alcoholism |
United States | 29.2 | 17.0 | 12.1 | 10.0 | 8.6 | 9.7 | 7.4 | 3.0 | 3.0 |
Alabama | 36.0 | 20.1 | 11.8 | 9.9 | 9.3 | 7.3 | 4.0 | 1.2 | .5 |
Arkansas | 43.7 | 21.0 | 9.1 | 7.2 | 8.4 | 6.4 | 1.4 | 2.6 | .2 |
Florida | 31.1 | 18.4 | 14.5 | 9.2 | 11.2 | 8.8 | 3.5 | 2.9 | .4 |
Georgia | 33.3 | 13.0 | 13.4 | 11.5 | 7.9 | 11.8 | 6.1 | 2.5 | .7 |
Kentucky | 41.1 | 14.0 | 6.9 | 11.8 | 8.8 | 9.4 | 4.2 | 1.2 | 2.6 |
Maine | 51.5 | 13.0 | 7.7 | 5.4 | 9.2 | 8.9 | .5 | 1.3 | 2.6 |
Maryland | 44.9 | 13.3 | 10.4 | 7.6 | 4.5 | 10.7 | 4.4 | 1.6 | 2.5 |
Mississippi | 35.4 | 23.2 | 9.8 | 8.3 | 10.9 | 6.7 | 2.1 | 3.1 | .6 |
Missouri | 33.8 | 15.9 | 8.5 | 11.4 | 6.3 | 9.4 | 8.5 | 3.0 | 3.3 |
New Mexico | 61.2 | 7.0 | 5.5 | 7.3 | 8.5 | 6.1 | 3.5 | .3 | .6 |
North Carolina | 46.7 | 17.7 | 8.0 | 6.6 | 9.6 | 3.9 | 6.1 | .7 | .6 |
North Dakota | 38.5 | 14.1 | 12.6 | 9.2 | 8.0 | 10.3 | 3.8 | .4 | 3.1 |
Oklahoma | 33.3 | 15.6 | 11.8 | 12.7 | 6.7 | 6.7 | 4.0 | 7.4 | 1.9 |
South Carolina | 43.4 | 19.6 | 7.0 | 8.2 | 8.9 | 4.1 | 6.1 | 1.9 | .8 |
South Dakota | 33.1 | 14.4 | 10.5 | 12.8 | 6.6 | 3.9 | 16.1 | .3 | 2.3 |
Tennessee | 43.0 | 14.3 | 9.6 | 11.9 | 8.0 | 3.8 | 5.1 | 3.5 | .8 |
Vermont | 33.6 | 16.8 | 13.3 | 10.6 | 8.8 | 10.6 | 3.5 | --- | 2.7 |
Virginia | 45.5 | 12.1 | 9.2 | 7.0 | 5.8 | 7.4 | 10.9 | 1.2 | 1.0 |
West Virginia | 38.6 | 12.6 | 8.2 | 9.1 | 6.3 | 7.8 | 15.7 | 1.1 | .7 |
While all but four ofthese States are southern, the percentages refer towhite cases only. The high degree of mental defect known to exist in the Southis commonly laid to the door of the Negro. The preceding figures indicateplainly that among the southern white population mental defect is moregeneral than among the population of the United States as a whole.
It is possible to form some ideaas to the incidence of this condition in any State by comparing the rate ofrejection by local boards of the State with the number of cases from that State foundat camps by the neuropsychiatric examiners.
Table 5 gives the rate of rejections for mental defect per1,000 men examined by the local draft boards of the different States. Bycomparing these rates with those of the neuropsychiatric identifications atcamps, it will be observed that a high rate of rejection for mental defect atlocal boards did not mean necessarily a low rate of cases found at camps. On thecontrary, it will be seen that, with the exception of Arkansas and Missouri, thehigh rejection rates by local boards were in the States in which a high degreeof mental defect was found by the neuropsychiatric examiners. The local boardsof Vermont rejected proportionately more than those of any other State (27.13per 1,000), but even that large number of rejections was not sufficient tobring Vermont below the United States average of 29.2 Percent as determined bythe neuropsychiatric examinations.
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The following States equaled or fell below the United Statesneuropsychiatric average for white mental defectives:
Percent | Percent | ||
Arizona | 15.0 | Colorado | 24.8 |
District of Columbia | 16.1 | Nebraska | 25.1 |
Montana | 16.7 | Iowa | 25.3 |
Oregon | 18.1 | Texas | 25.5 |
Nevada | 18.3 | Massachusetts | 25.7 |
New York | 19.8 | Washington | 26.1 |
Illinois | 19.9 | Idaho | 26.7 |
Utah | 20.5 | Connecticut | 26.7 |
Kansas | 21.6 | Pennsylvania | 27.0 |
Wyoming | 21.7 | Wisconsin | 27.0 |
California | 22.0 | New Jersey | 27.6 |
Minnesota | 22.2 | New Hampshire | 27.7 |
Delaware | 22.8 | Louisiana | 28.7 |
Indiana | 23.3 | Michigan | 29.2 |
Ohio | 23.9 | Rhode Island | 29.2 |
In these States, there is again a general, though notabsolute, agreement between the results of the neuropsychiatric examinations andthose of the local boards. For example, in Arizona, which is lowest on the list,only 2 per 1,000 were rejected by home boards, whereas in Rhode Island, which ishighest on the foregoing list, there were 15.18 such rejections per 1,000.
When the colored alone are considered, Table 5 is not of use.The Provost Marshal General's report, upon which this table was based, did notdistinguish between colored and white mental defectives.
The United States distribution average of mental deficiencyamong the colored neuropsychiatric cases was 48.3 Percent. The following Statesexceeded this rate of 48.3 Percent for colored:
Percent | Percent | ||
Vermont | 100.0 | Arkansas | 62.4 |
Washington | 100.0 | Oklahoma | 57.9 |
Maryland | 74.4 | District of Columbia | 52.7 |
Tennessee | 71.8 | Virginia | 48.6 |
Alabama | 66.4 |
It is to be noted that Maryland, Tennessee, and Arkansas were also high inmental defect among whites. (See Table 37.)
The States for which the distribution percentages equaled or were less thanthe percentage for the United States colored were as follows:
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Percent | Percent | ||
Minnesota | 9.1 | Massachusetts | 33.3 |
Nebraska | 9.1 | Texas | 33.4 |
Florida | 11.5 | Ohio | 33.5 |
Iowa | 12.5 | Delaware | 37.5 |
California | 14.3 | West Virginia | 37.5 |
Arizona | 16.6 | Kentucky | 38.5 |
New Jersey | 21.0 | Rhode Island | 40.0 |
Kansas | 21.6 | South Carolina | 40.0 |
Missouri | 24.4 | North Carolina | 40.8 |
Montana | 25.0 | Illinois | 41.1 |
Wisconsin | 25.0 | Pennsylvania | 42.0 |
New York | 29.2 | Mississippi | 44.6 |
Georgia | 31.7 | Connecticut | 46.2 |
Indiana | 32.6 | Louisiana | 48.3 |
Michigan | 32.6 |
This list is peculiar in that Florida and Georgia are well below the UnitedStates average for white mental defectives.
Table 39 shows five races in which the distribution of mental defect exceededthe United States mental deficiency average of 29.2 Percent.
Race | Number classified | Mental deficiency | Psycho- | Psycho- | Neuro- | Epi- | Constitu- | Endocrin- | Drug addiction | Alcohol- |
United States (white) | 60,993 | 29.2 | 17.0 | 12.1 | 10.0 | 8.6 | 9.7 | 7.4 | 3.0 | 3.0 |
African (Negro) | 8,401 | 48.3 | 13.1 | 6.6 | 9.5 | 13.3 | 3.0 | 3.6 | 2.3 | .3 |
American Indian | 124 | 62.9 | 4.8 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 7.3 | 8.9 | 2.4 | 3.2 | 2.4 |
Armenian | 69 | 37.7 | 15.9 | 14.5 | 11.6 | 10.1 | 8.7 | 1.4 | --- | --- |
Italian | 2,452 | 32.7 | 18.1 | 9.7 | 7.8 | 12.8 | 9.3 | 3.8 | 5.3 | .4 |
Mexican | 384 | 66.9 | 4.2 | 4.7 | 5.7 | 11.7 | 3.9 | 2.3 | .5 | --- |
Slavonic | 2,474 | 37.0 | 15.3 | 14.5 | 7.3 | 6.6 | 10.0 | 5.7 | 1.2 | 2.5 |
NATIVITY
Two thousand and sixty-one, or 9.5 Percent of theascertained white cases of mental deficiency were of foreign birth. Using allthe neuropsychiatric cases for the purpose of comparison, it is found that 10.5Percent were foreign born. As thispercentage does not differ greatly from the percentage for mental defectivesalone, the conclusion seems warranted that mental deficiency did not exist to a disproportionate extent among the foreignborn.
CORRELATIONS WITH OTHER CLINICAL CONDITIONS
Throughout the present material mental deficiency presentssignificant correlations with the other clinical conditions, and thesecorrelations may be taken as throwing some light on the extent and quality ofthe intelligence of the people concerned.
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As regards psychoses or mental disorders, it might be assumedthat these would be less apt to occur when there was a high rate for mentaldeficiency. The existence of a mental disease implies a developed intelligenceof a character that would possess imagination, ideas, and a certain quickness inmental processes. As is well known, distinct types of mental diseases arepractically unknown in childhood, the period before the intelligence is fullydeveloped. The hypothesis that mental disease implies a developed intelligenceand is less frequent among people where the intelligence is under-developed isborne out by the tables. Nineteen States (Table 38) exceeded the mentaldeficiency distribution rate of 29.2 Percent, and showed among themselves anaverage distribution of mental defect of 39.3 Percent. But the insanitydistribution rate for these States was below that for the United States, beingparticularly low in the States with high distribution of mental defect, viz,Arkansas, Kentucky, Maine, New Mexico, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.This same correlation holds true for the five classified native-born races(Table 39) which exceeded the distribution rate of 29.2 Percent for mentaldefect (with the exception of the Slavonic), namely, for the Negroes, AmericanIndians, Italians, and Mexicans.
The converse of the above correlations between mental defectand insanity will be shown to hold true when the distribution rate of insanityis above the average.
Between mental deficiency and alcoholism there seems to exista very definite antagonism, in that the two conditions do not exist in greatabundance in the same communities and people. Where the rate for one rises, therate for the other falls. Of the 19 States with an excess distribution of mentaldeficiency, only two have an excessof alcoholism, and in these 19 States the average distribution of alcoholism,including alcoholic psychoses, is 1.6 Percent as compared with 3 Percent-theUnited States distribution average. (Table 38.)
This same antagonism is observed in the different races. Noneof the five races which exceeded the United States distribution rate for mentaldeficiency attain the alcoholic distribution rate of 3 Percent. Similarconditions prevail in the foreign-born races classified. The converse will beshown to hold good when the correlations of alcoholism are stated.
As concerns epilepsy, in the States in which the distributionof mental deficiency was over average, there is practically no change; in theraces there is a slight increase.
As concerns the psychoneuroses, States and races with anabove-average rate of mental deficiency show a decrease. Constitutionalpsychopathic states which are akin to mental disorders, have a lowerdistribution average in both the States and the races which show an excessdistribution of mental deficiency.
There is a tendency in some States for endocrine disturbancesto sink when mental defect rises, and vice versa. Correlations exist betweenmental deficiency and drug addiction similar to those mentioned as existingbetween mental deficiency and alcoholism. Of the 19 States over average asregards mental deficiency, only three, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Tennessee,exceeded
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the average distribution rate for drug addiction. Of the fiveraces in which mental deficiency is over average, only two, namely, the AmericanIndian and the Italian, exceed in drug addiction. (Table 39.) Of the fourforeign-born races (Table 33), the Italian is the only one which exceeds inmental deficiency.
It would seem, therefore, that an excess of mental deficiencyin a people assures a below average amount of alcoholism, insanity, psychopathicstates, and drug addiction; the converse, still to be shown, is that when thelatter conditions are in excess mental deficiency recedes.
PSYCHONEUROSES
The information as to the psychoneuroses obtained by thecompilation of the reports of the neuropsychiatric examinations throws somelight on certain important points concerning them. In the first place, thenumbers alone were surprising. While physicians realized that there were manycomplaining people in hospitals, in dispensaries, and in the world generally,whose symptoms could not be associated with any definite pathological condition,few realized that there were so many young men in the country in whom functionalnervous disease reached a point to constitute a definite disability. But whenmore than 11,000 of them were identified in the camps alone, it is evident thatthese conditions demand the serious attention of a government which hopes toconserve its man power.
The most important question of all in regard to thepsychoneuroses, their essential character, can not at present be decided.Intensive investigation, the need of which the present study makes plain, mustdecide as to the essential characters of these disorders. The evidenceaccumulated throughout the World War, both in this country and in France,indicates plainly that the behavior of psychoneurotics is more stronglymotivated by impulses looking toward an improvement of their own personalsituation than is observed in most people. For the most part their symptomsfluctuate in direct ratio with the unpleasant features of the situation. In thecamps, a rumor of overseas orders would bring about an increased flow ofapplications for admission to the hospitals; overseas, the universal employmentof the term "shell-shock" acted as a kind of moral contagion increating these cases; during thearmistice, more than one came out frankly and said he thought his paralysis, orwhatever the disability was, wouldcause him no further trouble if he could be discharged from the Army.
But while these "selfish" trends in thepsychoneurotic, in the Army as in civil life, areunmistakable, it is yet to be shown in what proportion ofthe patients they are really outside personal control. It is certain that manyhave been labeled psychoneurotics when they should have been recognized assuggestible, credulous, uninformed young men, who really were ready to carry onif they knew how. Both in the home camps and in the American ExpeditionaryForces numerous instances were recorded of timid, immature, frightenedyouthful soldiers who really thought they were ill or"shell-shocked," yet who, under the benefits of rest, explanation, andkindly encouragement, forgot all their symptoms and settled down to their worklike real men. The symptoms most
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frequently complained of which could be explained away werethose referred to the gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, and sexual systems. Thepatients had often worried about them long before the war. In combat areas,recovery from such symptoms became much more assured when beds were set asidein field hospitals for these patients. These individuals, badly frightened,shaken up, or even slightly wounded, were returned to their organizations,instead of being sent, as they would have been sent, under other arrangements,to the rear. This phase of the subject-the phase having to do withpsychotherapeutic reconstruction-touches primary education very closely andwill be less acute when education becomes more generalized, and especially wheneducational programs include character up-building and world contact, as well asscholastic performance.
The association of the psychoneuroses with organic diseasesis of importance. It is quite possible that many conditions were denominatedpsychoneurotics when they should have been denominated in terms of some organiccondition. The superficial reaction was considered as primary, when it shouldhave been recognized as secondary to a more serious organic disability.
The statistics show the psychoneuroses as more frequentlyassociated with alcoholism and less frequently with poor economic conditionsthan in the case of the other neuropsychiatric conditions.
A problem for the future is the determination of therelationship between endocrine disorders and the psychoneuroses. Fromexaminations of individual cases of these "situation neuroses" thereis good ground for believing that they are often associated with some disharmonyor defect in the function of the endocrine glands. The statistics in thischapter can hardly be utilized in support of such theory.
The question of the association of psychoneuroses withmental defect, while not elucidated by the present statistics, is one ofimportance. It was remarked in ourhospitals, as well as in those of other countries, that many of the functionalnervous cases presented inferior intelligence. This seemed to be particularlythe case in hysteria, especially in the variations presenting paralysis andother somatic symptoms. It is to be noted that the negro, in whom mental defectis more prevalent than in the white, had a higher proportion of hysteria thanthat of other psychoneurotic conditions.
CLASSIFICATION
The 11,443 classified cases of psychoneuroses weredistributed as shown in Table 6. There may be some question as to the proprietyof including enuresis in this group, as probably some of these cases were mentaldefectives, others were endocrinopaths. The number of stammerers is notable. Theclinical histories indicated the essentially psychoneurotic character of thisdisability.
The percentages of neurasthenia and psychasthenia were muchhigher among the whites than among the colored, while those of hysteria andstammering were much lower among the whites. The latter conditions comprised70.7 Percent of the colored psychoneurotics.
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METHODS OF DISCOVERING CASES
The neuropsychiatrists apparently found some difficulty inidentifying cases of psychoneuroses at the routine examinations. (See Table 8.) Perhapsthe cases ofpsychoneuroses required some time for the symptoms to come to the front. Morenegroes, 47.8 Percent, as compared to 35.2 Percent of the whites, were identified immediately. That the psychoneuroses aremore conduct disorders than certain of the other groups is shown by the factthat a considerably higher percentage of them, 25.3 Percent, than of endocrinetroubles, alcoholism, or even drug addiction, were referred by organizationcommanders. Forty-five cases were referred by psychologists and 12 cases as aresult of delinquency.
LENGTH OF SERVICE PRIOR TO DISCOVERY
Although not easily identified at first, these cases brokedown promptly, 44.8 Percent of the white and 64.1 Percent of the coloredbeing recognized in less than one month. (See Table 10.) Since a relativelylarger proportion of colored were identified immediately, and a largerproportion of them broke down so early in training, it would seem that themechanism of the psychoneuroses in the colored was asimpler affair than in the whites. Of the whole group, 84.5Percent had been detected before the expiration of six months, leaving 15.5 Percent to break down when the situation became more acute, as it did in thiscountry when overseas orders came.
TIME OF ONSET
Before entering the service 95.1 Percent of the cases hadhad symptoms of their disorder. (See Table 11.) In this respect there waspractically no difference between the whites and the colored. Only 556 casesdeveloped after entering the service. Of these, about half developed before theexpiration of six months.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR DISPOSITION
Nine thousand one hundred ninety-seven, or 80.4 Percent, ofthe cases were recommended for discharge-the smallest percentage for any onegroup. (See Table 12.) Acomparatively large number were recommended for limited service, especiallyamong the colored cases. Only 1.4 Percent were recommended for duty.
In the American Expeditionary Forces, the distributionpercentage average of the psychoneuroses had increased. It became 30 Percentas compared with the mobilization distribution average of 16.5 Percent. Afterthe war, when the patients had become beneficiaries of the Bureau of War RiskInsurance (March, 1921), the distribution average dropped to 20.2 Percent-lowerthan it was in France, but still higher than in the home camps. Thesedistribution averages, shifting about in this manner under differentcircumstances, are quite in accord with the idea of the pscychoneurosis being asituation neurosis. The situation at home, acute enough as it was, and becoming worseas the war showed no signs of ending, became much moreacute when the troops reached the country where the fighting was actually goingon,
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where many of them even had to engage in it. With the adventof peace some of these cases recovered, almost over night; most of them showed a steady improvement in all symptoms. In some of those left to be hospitalizedby the Bureau of War Risk Insurance, the symptoms had doubtless become fairlywell fixed, and others, in much the same way that litigants in personal injurysuits maintain their symptoms, sought hospitalization for the purpose of beingidle and to secure the compensation accruing to service disability.
DELINQUENCY
Of the misconduct cases, 66, or 4.4 Percent, of the totalwere cases of psychoneuroses. This number is 0.58 Percent of the total group of11,443 cases-a percentage very low when compared with 5.1 Percent for theinsane and 4.4 Percent for the constitutional psychopaths.
FAMILY HISTORY
Evidence in support of the theory that the psychoneurosesdevelop especially in neurotically predisposed individuals is shown in Tables 13to 17. Of the ascertained cases, 57.7 Percent, with little difference betweenthe white and colored, gave a family history of neurotic taint, being exceededonly by epilepsy, endocrine disturbances, and constitutional psychopathicstates. In this respect the percentage for the psychoneuroses exceeded that foralcoholism and for drug addiction by about 17.
The psychoneuroses showed relatively the highest proportionof histories of family nervous diseases (37.5 Percent) and, after alcoholism,the largest proportion of mental deficiency (0.8 Percent). History of inebrietywas also relatively low in thesecases.
AGE
The psychoneuroses followed approximately the agedistribution of the drafted men of the Army as far as the group between theages of 25 and 29 years was concerned. (See Table 20.) They fell below thedistribution in the 20-24 years' period and rose in the group over 29. Thismay be an indication of the psychoneuroses being somewhat more common amongvolunteers. The colored psychoneurotics inclined to younger age periods than thewhites.
EDUCATION
The psychoneurotic group contained persons above theneuropsychiatric average of education (see Table 23), so far as high school andcollege are concerned. On the other hand, a relatively higher proportion of themhad no schooling, than of the insane, neurological cases, constitutionalpsychopaths, endocrine cases, drug addiction, and inebriety.
ECONOMIC CONDITION
A larger percentage (17.7 Percent)of psychoneurotics were in comfortable circumstances (see Table 24) than anyother group. This would indicate that nutrition and similar factors in theprevention of disease were less important in the psychoneuroses than in otherneuropsychiatric conditions.