Enumerators .....

[momat]

New Zealand is about to have its Census in 2 weeks time and we have all our forms to fill in.
Thankfully we don't have to state how many rooms have Windows unlike the early census we are all searching.

Nowadays they want to know among other things ,if you smoke/smoked and how many a day.
What your religon is ,what Ethnic status and how many Languages you can converse in.!!!!
Wonder what they will ask in 20 years time ?

[wini]

Australia is advertising for enumerators at present.

I don't suppose anyone is asking nowadays if any family member is

an Imbecile
Lunatic
Idiot

I have a soft spot for Isabella Gunn born Durness.
In the 1891 Census age 35 she is described as an imbecile since birth
On her DC in 1908 she is a Lunatic pauper.

Poor thing I hope we are not so unkind today.

wini

[momat]

I wouild think we could say those 3 titles still apply today but in a completely different context to what they were.

Lots of them around and creating havoc .

[DavidWW]

The definitions I came across a few years ago were

Lunatic: “A mentally ill person with periods of lucidity”.

Imbecile: "Persons who have fallen in later life into a state of chronic dementia".

Idiot: "those who suffer from congenital mental deficiency".


Just recently I've come across another couple of sets, -

Lunatic: "sometimes of good and sound memory and understanding, and sometimes not".

Imbecile: "mental age of an infant".

Idiot: "natural fool from birth".

While the wording if different, the similarity is considerable.


The Mental Deficiency Act of 1913 introduced revised definitions, plus new definitions,-

Lunatic: "sometimes of good and sound memory and understanding, and sometimes not".

Imbecile: "incapable of managing themselves or their affairs".

Idiot: "unable to guard themselves against phusical danger".

Feeble minded: "needing care or or control for the the protection of self or others".

Moral defective: "those possessed of 'vicious or criminal propensities'" (in which category were included unmarried mothers )

In 1930 "lunatic" was redefined as "a person of unsound mind".

David

[wini]

Thanks for those definitions David.
I thought perhaps Lunatic may have had something to with the Moon.
Madness may have occured at sometime during the Lunar Cycle.

What about Insanity?
The best car sticker I have seen is

Insanity is hereditary, you get it from your children.

wini

[DavidWW]

Thanks for those definitions David.
I thought perhaps Lunatic may have had something to with the Moon.
Madness may have occured at sometime during the Lunar Cycle.

....snipped........

That was an original belief !!

David

[Tracey]

Thanks for those definitions David.
I thought perhaps Lunatic may have had something to with the Moon.
Madness may have occured at sometime during the Lunar Cycle.

....snipped........

That was an original belief !!

David

I can confirm it still occurs (being a water birth sign)