IDIOCY. In Medical Jurisprudence.
A form of insanity, resulting either from con genital defect, or some obstacle to the deve lopment of the faculties in infancy.
2. It always implies some defect or disease of the brain, which is generally smaller than the standard size and irregular in its shape and pro portions. Occasionally the head is unnaturally large, being distended by water. The senses are very imperfect at best, and one or snore are often entirely wanting. None can articulate more than a few words; while many utter only cries or mut tered sounds. Some make known their wants by sigos or sounds which are intelligible to those who have charge of them. The head, the features, the expression, the movements,—all convey the idea of extreme mental deficiency. The reflective facul ties are entirely wanting, whereby they are utterly incapable of any effort of reasoning. The percept ive faculties exist in a very limited degree, and hence they are rendered capable of being improved somewhat by education, and redeemed, in some measure, from their brutish condition. They have been led into habits of propriety and decency, have been taught some of the elements of learning, and have learned some of the coarser industrial occu pations. The moral sentiments, such as self-esteem, love of approbation, veneration, benevolence, are not unfrequently manifested; while some propen e If February is bissextile, Sexto Calendae (6 Cal.) is counted twice, viz., for the 24th and 25th of the month. Hence the word bissextile.
sities, such as cunning, destructiveness, sexual im pulse, are particularly actiye.
3. In some parts of Europe a form of idiocy prevails endemically, called cretinism. It is asso ciated with disease defective development of other organs besides the head. Cretins are short in stature, their limbs are attenuated, the belly tumid, and the neck thick. The muscular system is feeble,
and their voluntary movements restrained and un decided. The power of language is very imperfect, if not entirely, wanting. In the least degraded forms of this diseaee, the perceptive powers may be somewhat developed, and the individual may evince some talent at music or construction. In Switzer land they make parts of watches. Unlike idiocy, cretinism is not congenital, but is gradually deve loped in the early years of childhood. It is owing chiefly to atmospherical causes, and is transmitted from one generation to another.
4. Both idiocy and cretinism exhibit various de grees of mental deficiency, but they never approxi mate to aoy description of men supposed to be rational, nor can any amount of education efface the chism which separates them from their better-en dowed fellow-men. The older law-writers, whuse observation of mental manifestations was not very profound, thought it necessary to have some test of idiocy; and accordingly, Fitzberbert says, if he have sufficient understanding to know and understand his letters, and to read by teaching or information, he is not an idiot. Nature Brevium, 583. Again, he says, a man is not an idiot if he hath any glim mering of reason, so that he can tell his parents, his age, or the like common matters. The inference was, no doubt, that sut h a man is responsible for his criminal acts. At the present day, such an idea would not be entertained for a moment, nor are we aware of any case un record of an idiot suffering capital punishment. Of course, they are totally in capable of any civil acts; but in this country—in some of the states, at least—they would not be debarred from exercising the right of suffrage. Sea