. Popular science monthly. of this law in insanity, epilepsy andmental defectiveness. These conditions are excludable but often escapedetection on the primary examination. Within the three-year limit,however, a large number of such cases develop. Many forms of insanityand epilepsy are known to be due to hereditary constitutional defectand psychopathic tendencies. Hence if one of these becomes apparentwithin three years after landing, the diagnosis shows that the causesmust have existed prior to landing. Of course feeble-mindedness, idiocyand imbecility are congenital and one of these condition
. Popular science monthly. of this law in insanity, epilepsy andmental defectiveness. These conditions are excludable but often escapedetection on the primary examination. Within the three-year limit,however, a large number of such cases develop. Many forms of insanityand epilepsy are known to be due to hereditary constitutional defectand psychopathic tendencies. Hence if one of these becomes apparentwithin three years after landing, the diagnosis shows that the causesmust have existed prior to landing. Of course feeble-mindedness, idiocyand imbecility are congenital and one of these conditions found withinthree years is evidently under the law. Feeblemindedness differs from imbecility only in degree, and in itslesser forms in turn shades off into simple backwardness of mental de-velopment. A case may have been given the benefit of the doubt on theprimary examination, when later conditions indicate it to be feeble-minded. An infant or young child may show feeble-mindedness within 336 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. Algerian Aeabs at Ellis Island. three years which was not apparent at entrance. Or, especially in thecabin examination on board ship, a feeble-minded person may entirelyescape detection. These instances illustrate both the need for the lawand its effectiveness. It is the second line of defence against unsoundaliens, augmenting and reenforcing the first line of defence at the immi-gration station. Unfortunately the effect of this deportation law is nullified in manycases by decisions of the Secretary of Commerce and Certain ofthese decisions should have the widest publicity and will be a surpriseto many persons. Decision No. 120 of the solicitor of the Department of Commerceand Labor was published on February 8, 1912, for the guidance of immi-gration officials and others concerned. Within the legal three-year limit,Yittel Goklfarb, a sixteen-year-old Russian Jewess, was certified to besuffering from manic-depressive insanity by a member of the New Yor
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