Where the mother is subnormal there is almost certain to be a line of feeble-minded progeny, and in this study, while there were only 7 per cent.

of the fathers hopelessly deficient, in 25 per cent.

the mothers were notably defective in mind.
Thirty-seven of these families showed illegitimate children--a far larger number than the average of normal population.

Physical deficiencies also figured largely in these family records.
This particular study takes us into the region where Doctor Fernald, Doctor Goddard and many others have prepared material for convincing the public mind that no one thing so increases social degeneracy and so adds to the sum of human misery as the unprotected freedom of defectives to procreate and pollute the family currents.[14] This is not a treatise on social pathology and elsewhere must be found the details of investigation and information that justify this statement.
What is here attempted is only a study of what should be the attitude of fathers and mothers toward feeble-minded children if such should be their tragic problem.
=Custodial Care of the Defective.=--In the first place, the attitude of mind of the parents, if they are themselves normal, is to be considered.

What gives us feeble-minded children from feeble-minded parents is clear.