Debility
Historical document, translated for reference. It reflects medical knowledge of the 1920s–30s and is not medical advice.
Summary
Debility is a mild form of congenital mental deficiency characterized by intellectual limitations and poor psychic life due to an innate inability of the intellect to sufficiently enrich itself with representations and ideas. It does not exclude the possibility of high development of specific abilities but affects the social value of the debile individual and their capacity for initiative.
Encyclopedia entry (1928–1936)
DEBILITY, debilitas mentalis (from Latin debilis - weak), a mild degree of congenital mental deficiency, foolishness, which is characterized by intellectual limitations and poverty of psychic life due to an innate inability of the intellect to sufficiently enrich itself with representations and ideas. Debility does not exclude the possibility of high development of specific abilities (drawing, music, counting, etc.), but it affects the social value of the debile individual and their capacity for initiative. A deeper degree of congenital mental deficiency is imbecility (see); see also Idiocy, - Debilitas congenita, see Congenital mental deficiency.
Related articles
Mentioned in
Cite this page
“Debility.” Soviet Medical Encyclopedia. English translation of Bolshaya Meditsinskaya Entsiklopediya, 1st ed. (Moscow, 1928–1936), ed. N. A. Semashko. https://sovietmedicalencyclopedia.pages.dev/article/debility/