VONDERLEHS

TREASURY DEPARTMENT

UNITED STATES

PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE
American Consulate,
Cobh, Irish Free State,
September 22, 1927.

 

OFFICE OF
MEDICAL OFFICER IN CHARGE

Dr. Lawrence Kolb,
Hygienic Labratory,
Washington, D.C.

Dear Doctor Kolb:

Your letter of a couple of weeks ago has
arrived and it has helped me a great deal in my work here.
There are so many factors that make mental examination of
aliens difficult here, that most of the tests with which I
was acquainted seemed useless when I first arrived. There
is a distinct difference in pronunciation here and even the
meaning of words in some instances, so that I have found it
best to use tests that require the least amount of explanation.

I have recently modified the so called

"Ellis Island Tests" that you gave us and am sending a copy

of my modification. I am very anxious to know what you think
of this group of tests,whether it is well balanced and whether
my grading procedures are just. From the "Fllis Island Tests"
T have omhtted the tests in which the subject counts from
twenty to one,because I have found that a large number of
visa applicants repeated these numbers in "parrot like"
fashion and I believe that the test has been studied a great
deal prior to the applicants visit to the Consulate.This
also holds for the names of the days of the week backward,
and. also for the names of the months of the year. The |
absurdity and problem question in the "Fllis Island Tests"
has been dropped because I found there was too much difficulty
in understanding my language.

In performing the revision of the "Bllis
Island Tests" that I have made,I have the subject begin with
some other month than January in repeating the months of
the year;this is to prevent the subject's previous study
influencing the test. I am using Knox's Cube Test and in order
for the applicant to get credit for this test he must touch
the four cubes correctly two out of three times,and the five
cubes correctly once in three times. In block No.5. in the
discrimination of weights, only one error is allowed in the
placing of the weighted cubes. The Healy-Fernald Construction
Puzzle A and the Knox Geographic Test Frame are exhibited
~2-

for a period of about fifteen to twenty seconds before the test,
then the pieces are emptied from the frame and the subject is
allowed three minutes to replace them correctly.

In the repetition of digets I have three groups for
forward repetition and two groups for backward repetition. If
the subject repeats one number of the three in one group correctly,
he gets credit for the repetition of that group. Each group
repeated correctly counts two. With the sums for addition sub-
traction and aultipiieation, each sum counts one in the final
grade.

The Dot Counting Test was obtained from the reprint
by Surgeon #,H. Mullen, from .¢ Public Health Bulletin No.90.
published in October 1917, and entitled "Mentality of the
Arriving Immigrant" and ks taken up in this reprint on page 44.
The Learning Test was taken from this same reprint and is
described and discussed on page 46; both of these are so called
memory tests. ;

In grading the day of the week, month, day of the
month and year, a mistake in the year or the month is considered
more grave,than a mistake in the day of the month or day of week.
Five points are subtracted for a mistake in the year, three points
for a mistake in the month and a point each for the day of month
and day of week.

Finally each test is counted as ten and an average
of seventyfive must be maé@e by the subject in order to pass. Those
applicants who grade between fifty and seventyfive are eonsidereé
as "Mentally Defective" and those below fifty are grouped in the
"Feeble Minded" class,or some lower class according to their
ability.to perform éther tests that we have here at hand.

Doctor Waugh and myself are very anxious to find out
just what you think of this procedure,as a form of this kind if

followed routinely would greatly simplify the precedure for the
mental examination of aliens here.

I trust that this will find you enjoying good health.
Mrs. Vonderlehr joins me in sending kindest regards

and best wishes.

Sincerely Yours,

Va