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What is true of the appetite is true also of the passions.

This, which is unquestionably true in general terms, should be modified, however, in some degree by another fact. As in the case of young children, the manifestation of appetite and passion are relatively more marled by the absence of self-control which in adults prevents the outbreak.

At this point it may be mentioned that the age of puberty is later in making its appearance in the case of idiots than with ordinary human beings. In fact, with some that change from childhood to youth does not take place at all; the whole life is a prolonged childhood. As a consequence, the sexual instinct manifests itself at a late date, and very feebly, if manifested at all. I am aware that this is contrary to the popular belief, but the popular belief is based upon a narrow observation of certain imbeciles whose sexual instincts were not balanced by any proper self-control, or even a sense of decency.

The social instinct of the class is also feeble.

Again, it is true that in the absence of the exercise of the higher human attributes the lower are more conspicuous; or, so far as these are developed and strengthened by exercise, the lower may gain by their greater relative employment in the case of idiots. The same is true of savage races. What they lack in the use of the higher faculties is made up in part by the acute exercise of the senses. All their energies in both cases are spent in the lower range of human faculties. It is a part of our common experience to meet with unnatural activity of some of the senses in the case of idiots. We have seen those who have tested everything by the nose or tongue or touch. We have seen idiots whose sight was very active, or whose hearing was very acute. But it was not an instinctive use of these, but an acquired acuteness from a constant or vicarious exercise of a single sense, or a few senses, to the exclusion of others.

There is a form of memory sometimes manifested by imbeciles that is quite astonishing. In fact, the memory of ordinary children, an intuitive power in the human race, would be marvellous if it were not so common. It is one of the necessities of human development. For, without such adhesiveness of memory, in the absence of any known relation between the perceptions and ideas that come flowing in upon the childish mind, each successive wave of impressions or thoughts would efface the effects of the preceding one.

But, by means of this intuitive faculty, they are sometimes stored up as the food for future mental operations. At a later stage this peculiar faculty is weakened, and gives place to the memory which is founded upon the laws of association of ideas, which we can, in a measure, understand.

This childish or adhesive memory is not only prolonged in the case of some imbeciles, but exhibited in a degree unparalleled in persons of normal endowment. Still, there is nothing instinctive about this. In conclusion,

I think it may be affirmed, --

1st. That the instances cited by Dr. Carpenter and other scientists do not warrant their inference, that "idiots are guided almost solely by their instinctive tendencies, or that new instincts present themselves to take the place of intelligence," or again, to put it in another form, that there is in the case of idiots any reversion to primitive instincts, as manifested by the lower animals.

2d. That the very nature of the underlying conditions of the nervous centres and nervous system, associated with the failure of mental development that constitutes idiocy, operates to narrow the scope of the instinctive powers or weakens their force.

And, 3d. That experience and observation show that even the ordinary human instincts are feeble and inoperative, especially in the case of idiots of low degree, just where, according to the theory under discussion, they should be the strongest.

In fact, that a part of our work as specialists is to impart a healthy tone to the nervous centres, and to bring out by training the very acts and impulses that, in the case of ordinary children, are manifested instinctively or intuitively.

That we meet with anomalous traits among idiots is true, but, prevailingly, the order of development of their faculties is like that of all other human beings. That some of them have very few of the attributes of humanity is also true, but the same may be said of all young infants. In the one case the period has not arrived when normal development takes place. In the other development comes slowly or not at all, because of defect in quantity or quality or arrangement of nerve-structure or functional inactivity of nerve-tissue.