The French scientist Morel was the first to systematize the doctrine of the degeneration of mankind. With a deviation from the normal type, personality regresses and degenerate appears - who is he and what is he? Healthy, insane, criminal? Is such degeneration hereditary or acquired? The psychiatrist Morel studied the causes of insanity, and he was also interested in the heredity of mentally ill people.
Dr. Morel spoke of signs of degeneration for the first time. He compiled a fairly long list, which includes both physical and mental symptoms of degeneration. Such a person has a certain stigma - the stigma of degeneration.
Surprisingly, the signs of degenerate listed by Morel can be inherited. In the first generation, only cerebral tides, nervous temperament, unbridled character, irritability are recorded. In the second generation, brain diseases occur, and in the third - the patient commits dangerous acts. Then phenomena such as congenital deafness, dementia, idiocy and backwardness appear.
In addition to hereditary factors, intoxication affects personality degeneration:
- alcohol, opium;
- epidemics, hunger strikes;
- poisoning;
- soil composition.
Under the influence of the social environment, degenerate appears - who is what he looks like? Most often this is a financially needy person who works in hazardous industries. Such people have congenital malformations. Severe mental trauma also contributes to degeneration.
It was thanks to Morel’s doctrine "Treatise on Degeneration" that they studied social issues more closely. We drew attention to the fact that there is a connection between degeneration and excessive labor in unsanitary conditions. Then the idea of preventive medicine arose.
The word degenerate, its meaning, a description of the signs and symptoms of degeneration must be studied in the scientific literature. Mutations and changes in body tissues occur due to adverse conditions. Nutrition has a great effect on physical degeneration.
In the modern world, it is almost impossible to use only proper nutrition. Environmental pollution, industrial waste, herbicides and pesticides, fluoride compounds, petrochemical products - all this leads to human degeneration.
Mental degenerate - who is this mentally ill? Outwardly, this often manifests itself in deformities. Physical disability does not have to be explicit. For example, the irregular shape of the ears and skull can only be noted.
Much attention in psychiatry during the examination of the patient is given to the auricles. For the first time he drew attention to changes in the structure of the ear and the shape of the ears by a French psychiatrist, so these ears are often called "Morelevsky".
The degenerate being examined, who is it, what structural anomalies can be assumed? These symptoms include: hearing problems (underdevelopment or complete deafness) and changes in the structure of internal organs.
We must not forget that the manifestation of any sign of an abnormality in a person does not necessarily mean that he is degenerate. Scientist Morel just summarized the signs of degeneration, thereby creating a program for the study of mental disorders.