THE IMMIGRATION PROBLEM 
48 
show only 11.7 per cent, of their cases coming from 
this cause, whereas 35.9 per cent, of the Irish patients 
treated were suffering from alcoholism, acute and 
chronic. Of the English 27.5 per cent., and of the 
German 12.8 per cent., were treated for alcoholism, 
and only 7.2 per cent, and 12.4 per cent, respectively, 
for traumatism, burns, etc. Of the Italians only 1.6 
per cent, were treated for alcoholism and of the He 
brews only 0.9 of 1 per cent. 
The Swedes with 1.5 per cent, Irish, Italians, Polish 
and Scotch each with .9 per cent., show a larger propor 
tion treated for syphilis than the English, Germans, 
Hebrews or Magyars. The English with 2.1 per cent, 
and the Italians with 1.5 per cent, had a larger propor 
tion treated for gonorrhea than any of the other races 
of which a detailed study was made. 
Among the native-born negroes only 3.6 per cent, 
were treated for alcoholism. 
The Mentally Defective 
It is much more difficult, in many instances, to de 
tect the mentally than the physically defective. Often 
there is nothing to indicate to the medical inspector 
mental disease, unless the immigrant can be kept under 
observation for a considerable period of time, or unless 
the history of the case is known. Under the law, “All 
idiots, imbeciles, feeble-minded persons, epileptics, are 
excluded, insane persons, and persons who have been 
insane within five years previous; and persons who 
have had two or more attacks of insanity at any time 
previously.” It is the custom invariably to hold for 
observation any patient who shows any evidence what 
ever of mental disease; but despite this care not a few 
cases are found of those who have developed insanity