London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Ilford 1931
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Ilford]
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The following table shows the mental age (by the Binet Simon tests) and the intelligence quotient of the feeble-minded children examined during 1931. The border-line of mental deficiency is where the intelligence quotient is about 75.
| Actual age in years. | Mental age in years. | intelligence Quotient. |
|---|---|---|
| 5.75 | 2.80 | 48.70 |
| 6.25 | 3.17 | 50.72 |
| 7.25 | 5.60 | 77.24 |
| 7.66 | 6.00 | 78.33 |
| 7.87 | 5.60 | 70.92 |
| 10.92 | 6.80 | 62.29 |
| 11.17 | 7.25 | 64.91 |
(1) Idiots.—Idiots are, within the meaning of the Mental
Deficiency Act, 1913, persons so defective in mind from an early
age as to be unable to guard themselves against common physical
dangers. The Authority responsible for dealing with such children
is the Essex County Council. There are 21 cases under the age of
16 years known to the department. Eight are in a residential
institution, and 13 are at home.
(2) Imbeciles.— Imbeciles are persons whose mental defectiveness
does not amount to idiocy, yet is so pronounced that they are
incapable of managing themselves or their affairs; or, in the case
of children, of being taught to do so. The Authority responsible
for dealing with these children is also the Essex County Council.
There are 18 cases under the age of 16 years known to the department,
all of whom are at home.
(3) Feeble-minded Children.— Feeble-minded children are
those whose mental defectiveness does not amount to imbecility, yet
is so pronounced, that they are incapable of receiving proper
benefit from instruction in an ordinary school. The Authority
responsible for the proper instruction of these children is the Ilford
Education Authority. There were (at the end of 1931) 52 such
oases under the age of 16 years known to me, of whom 17 are
attending public elementary schools in the district, 1 is in a Convent
School, 1 is at Oldchureh Hospital, 18 are in residential
schools, and 14 are not at school (9 being over 14 years of age).
All mentally defective children are visited at home by the
School Nurses at least once a quarter.