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The educable mentally defective children (i.e., the feebleminded)
are provided with special education at Oak Lodge, the
joint special school for Hornsey, Finchley and Wood Green. The
uneducable defectives are cared for at the Occupation Centre,
Staffordshire Hall, Wood Green.
Epileptics.—The diagnosis of epilepsy depends usually on a
history provided by parents or teachers that a child has fits of a
particular character. Attacks of major epilepsy, or severe fits
("grand mal") are regarded as ground for exclusion of a child
from the ordinary elementary school and admission to a special
school for epileptics. Children subject to slight attacks or
"petit mal" are regarded as suitable for attendance at the
ordinary elementary school.
Physically Defective Children.—The last of the notes on
Table III. (note h) says: —
"The exact classification of the physically defective is
admittedly a matter of difficulty. Valuable information, however,
will be obtained if School Medical Officers will record these defective
children as accurately as possible under the selected
sub-headings, taking care that no child is entered under more
than one sub-heading."
Although there are five sub-divisions of the physically defective,
they might be considered as falling naturally into three
groups, namely:—
(a) Tubercular children,
(b) Cripple children,
(c) Delicate children.
(a) Tubercular Children.—The main facts about tuberculosis in
children are now well known. Two forms of the disease
infect man—the human infection and the bovine. These may
attack any organ or tissue of the body producing pulmonary
tuberculosis or consumption, and non-pulmonary tuberculosis
or, as it is sometimes called, "surgical tuberculosis" (bones,
joints, glands, etc.) The important fact to bear in mind
about tuberculosis from the point of view of school medicine
is the widespread nature of the infection throughout urban
communities. Tests carried out with tuberculin on children
at different ages show a progressive increase of positive
reactions from infancy onwards, until at school-leaving age