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72
I. Statutory Cases.
The total known number of these cases in or belonging to the
Borough is 171. Of these 93 are in Residential Institutions (including
Poor Law Homes) and 78 are under supervision at home.
There are nine cases of lads and girls over sixteen who have been
placed under Guardianship at home, and these cases are visited
every three months by the Medical Officer, and every month by
the Mental Deficiency Visitor. They are also visited at least twice
per annum by an Inspector from the Board of Control.
For about five months—November, 1920 to March, 1921—
lessons in raffia bag and basket making were given to four girls
and one lad by a voluntary worker, with good results. The work
came to an end at Easter, but in the Autumn a weaving class
was started at 13, Katharine Street, at which six young women are
taught rug making on small hand-looms. This class continues to
meet each Friday afternoon, and is looked forward to with great
enthusiasm by teacher and pupils. The work done has been of
very satisfactory quality and has proved to be saleable—one of the
girls has dressed herself out of the proceeds of her basket making.
Considerable progress has been made during the current year, and
the report for 1922 will, it is anticipated, clearly show the need for
the permanent establishment of a training industrial centre for
mental defectives in the town.
Four children under five years of age have been kept under
medical observation and regular supervision during the year.
The Medical Officer made 105 examinations and medical visits
and the Mental Deficiency Visitor 835 visits to Statutory cases
during the year. Six new Statutory cases were added to the list by
certificate, six ineducable oases were notified by the Local Education
Authority and eleven Education cases passed to the Statutory
list on attaining the age of sixteen. Seven males and six females
were sent to Residential Institutions during the year, eleven cases
were transferred from Queeen's Road to other Institutions on the
expiry of the contract with the Guardians, and two other transfers
were made from other Institutions. Two Statutory cases have
removed from the Borough, and there has been one death in 1921.