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 1936
[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 1936. The border-line of mental deficiency is where the intelligence quotient is about 75.
| Actual age in years. | Mental age in years. | Intelligence Quotient. |
|---|---|---|
| 5.1 | 2.8 | 55.0 |
| 5.4 | 3.0 | 55.0 |
| 6.5 | 2.6 | 40.0 |
| 6.9 | 4.8 | 69.0 |
| 7.0 | — | – |
| 7.5 | 3.6 | 48.0 |
| 8.3 | 3.6 | 43.4 |
| 8.3 | 6.4 | 77.0 |
| 9.5 | 6.1 | 64.2 |
| 9.8 | 7.0 | 71.4 |
| 10.8 | 7.8 | 72.0 |
| 11.2 | 7.8 | 69.6 |
| 12.8 | 9.4 | 73.4 |
| 13.1 | 9.4 | 71.7 |
| 13.25 | 9.6 | 72.4 |
| 14.0 | 10.5 | 75.0 |
| 14.2 | 8.0 | 56.0 |
| 14.2 | 9.2 | 64.8 |
| 14.4 | 10.0 | 69.4 |
(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 13 cases under
the age of 16 years known to the department. 6 are in a residential
institution and 7 are at home.
(2) Imbecilcs.—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 20 cases under the age of 16 years known to
the department. 3 are in a residential institution and 17 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