Hide Article Text (OCR)
Sin Child’s” Isolationj Retarded Mental Growth, Sociologist DiscoversContinued from Page One.that the sm baby” had boon imprisoned in an attic without windows or ventilation for two yeais, and then j for three years in the storage room i Xhc mother* of the child, iVIaitha1 Harris, 27, unmarried, at the time 1 claimed she was farced to keep her 1 baby away from human contact he-, cause her fathet * Dd v3d Harris,! “didn’t want to see it aiound”Since birth the tiny baby, und*r- ( nourished and literally unwanted,! tad been separated not only from J outsiders but from members of her immediate family, seeing her mother only occasionally.During the time Dr, Davis hns* been studying the case, he repotted today, he has found that the f.ubjcct now six years old, has not yet1 learned to eat, to chew soLid food, to 1 stand up, to follow directions, to obey* to walk or even crawl.“The things bhe does now that she j had not done before were for the most part elementary activities contingent mainly upon better physical health, involving more organic coordination and energy ” Dr* Davis stated.Two things are wren# with the girl, he claims. She lacks ambition and training »\Vhen the case was first discovered medical authorities optimistically predicted the child would be normal within a year. After a recent examination of the girl, however, Dr. Davis said”“She seemed totally without motivation for learning anything. She did ha\ e desires, apparently* and had hit upon some methods of satisfying them. She seemed deliberately to show some ~ things on the floor in order to attract attention,*The cases of isolation indicate that the difference between animals and human beings is probably less innate than has been assumed, the main difference being those transmitted from the cultural environment by the communicative process 4,ln the restraining of an Isolated child It would seem that there are certain elements of culture which can be picked up without the development of communication in the strict linguistic sense. These are mainly matters of play* smiling, expectancy, etc., which resemble very strikingly wijht an animal* in a way compatible with lius equipment, tends 'to pick up/’Both David Harris, B9, and Ills daughter, Martha, were held by authorities at the time o£ the discovery of the baby In the storage room and charged with cruelty to an Infant. Theso charges were dismissed by Judge J. Kussell Carr, who found tnc Commonwealth’s testimony wasj“not sufficient”The grandfather of the child explained to authorities at the time of his arrest*“She hud one child. When she brought this other one home I had to do something to make her realize this thing couldn’t keep on.”The child was taken to the Fayette county home and later placed in a private home*
Newspaper Details
Connellsville Daily Courier
Connellsville, Pennsylvania, US
Wed, Dec 14, 1938
Page 12
Full Page
Clipped by
Becky H.
USA 26 May 2020
Other Publications Near Connellsville, Pennsylvania
Connellsville Weekly Courier
Connellsville Daily Courier
Connellsville Keystone Courier
Connellsville Courier
