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perception of objects by bringing them closer to the eye, increasing the visual angle, and getting a greater
stimulus to the retina. Everyone does this daily and it does no harm so long as the act is not unduly
prolonged. It necessitates convergence of the eyes and it is to the pressure of the muscles causing
convergence that the injurious effects are ascribed. The pressure tends to cause bulging of the globe,
and with the slightest abnormality in shape myopia may start. Once this has commenced a vicious
circle is established. The myopia necessitates a closer approximation of objects, this a greater convergence
and pressure and then more myopic stretching. The examination of the vision returns points
to a very fair condition of the eyes of London children, especially compared with returns collected in
German-reading countries. The greater proportion of cases of poor vision are due to natural conditions
of hypermetropia and hypermetropic astigmatism. They are congenital conditions. The incidence of
what may be termed manufactured bad vision, myopia, and its associated astigmatism forms from a
quarter to a third of the cases, and as these represent less than a tenth of the children, less than 3 per
cent, are myopic.
SPECIAL SCHOOLS.
Mentally Defectives.—During the routine inspection of the Special Schools for mentally
defectives a card was filled up for each case seen, to afford data for a special investigation into
the mental capacity of the brighter children with a view of ascertaining whether an intermediate class
is desirable in which special teaching should be given to children who, although unfit at present for the
elementary school are not in reality feeble-minded, and also of reporting on the number of children at
present in the schools for Mentally Defective Children who are unlikely ever to improve, either in a
mental or manual capacity. These are matters of opinion in which the personal equation plays a considerable
part. It has taken a very long time to obtain the information. The following card was
drawn up and the particulars of each child examined at the schools recorded :—
Name of child.
Date of birth.
School attended.
How long has the child been in a special school ?
Would it do better in an "intermediate" school ?
State whether likely to improve materially either mentally or manually.
State whether likely to be able to earn its own living.
State whether likely to be able to contribute materially to its own support
State whether it will be able to do anything after leaving school.

20261 B2
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