medical standards for imbecile

[blue_zouave]

It wasn't until the 20th century that actual classifications for various degrees of mental retardation came into being, along with tests for intelligence (the abovementioned Stanford-Benet test is one.) In the 19th century, is was a case of "I know it when I see it."

The description in the reference above is a great example of the knowledge of the time.

Cullen's Nosology, the great book of classification of disease that was required study for medical students of the 19th century, lists four genera of mental derangements: Amentia (idiocy or imbicility), Melancholia (melancholy), Mania (madness, delirium without fever) and Oneirodynia (nightmares and sleepwalking.)

There's a discussion of 20th century classification of intelligence on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mental_retardation

Zou

[larry_cockerham]

I've noted that many Southerner's are each other's cousins. Does that count?