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There were no outbreaks of infectious illness to record in connection with the Council's places
of detention. Apart from cases of skin affections, such as scabies, impetigo, etc., the majority of which
were detected upon admission, places of detention have been practically free from communicable diseases.
Admissior
examinations.
Defective Children.
During the year, 3 new schools have been opened, 2 for physically defective children, and one
for partially deaf children ; 2 schools for physically defective children have been closed.
The total number of examinations under the special Acts during the year was 5,422, as compared
with 5,777 for 1915. Of these, 1,251 were deemed suitable to attend elementary schools, 660 were
invalided, 60 were deemed suitable to attend a blind school, 261 a school for myopes, 83 were sent to
deaf and 67 to partially deaf schools, 606 were epileptic, 993 suitable for physically defective schools,
1,349 for mentally defective schools. 81 were deemed imbecile, and 11 idiot.

Rota visits.
The special schools were visited at least once a quarter, and every child present was seen at least
once during the year. During these visits the scholars were re-classified, and 254 were transferred
to elementary schools, 5 to blind and myope schools, 4 to schools for the deaf and partially deaf, 25
from physically defective to mentally defective schools, 6 from mentally defective to physically defective
schools, 57 were excluded from mentally defective schools as imbecile, 26 were invalided on medical
grounds, and 57 over 14 years of age were excluded as no longer certifiable. In addition, 989 special
examinations were made of children already on the rolls of special schools, in connection with applications
for non-enforcement of attendance, committals to industrial schools, etc.

(a) 28 Children are on the waiting list for admission to special schools or colonies. The number of epileptic
children out of schools for epileptics cannot be ascertained since the date of the last scheduling—viz., May, 1915.
At that time, 115 children between the ages of 7 and 16, and 4 between the ages of 3 and 7 were out of school.
In the age groups, out of 256,847 children examined, the following were found to be the mental
conditions. Dull or backward age group 8-9 years boys, 7.2 per cent., and girls, 5.8 per cent.; leavers
boys, 8-5; girls, 8.5 per cent.; mentally defective, age group 8-9 years, boys and girls, 0.2 per cent.,
leavers, boys and girls, 0.0 per cent.
Blind acd
myope.
The examinations of children reported for serious defect of the eyes, the periodic examinations
of the children in the blind schools and myope classes, and also the examinations of the eyes of children
in certain types of trade schools for the physically defective, in the schools for the deaf, and in some of
the industrial schools, have been made by Mr. Bishop Harman (the Council's ophthalmologist) ; 501
children were examined, of whom 60 were passed for blind schools, and 261 for myope classes.
Classes for
the deaf and
partially
deaf.
Children noted by the teachers as partially deaf are examined at the schools or at special centres
by the school doctors, and all cases in which there is marked impairment of hearing are referred for
special investigation by Mr. Yearsley (the Council's otologist). In the year ended 31st December, 1916,
249 children were thus examined. Mr. Yearsley has analysed the cases which have passed through his
hands during the past 9 years, and is able to show a great preponderance of acquired over congenital
deafness. Out of 1,863 cases, 74 were found to be congenital and hereditary, 571 were cases of
sporadic congenital deafness, and 9 were cases of congenital aphasia. Of 1,209 cases of acquired
deafness, 416 were the result of infectious diseases, 180 were due to diseases of the nervous system,
448 followed primary ear disease, 70 were due to injury, and 95 were of uncertain origin.
Heart
disease.
Dr. Langmead, who investigated the conditions in 313 cases of heart disease at present in the
schools for the physically defective, found that 5 presented the lesions of mitral stenosis, 154 of uncomplicated
mitral incompetence, 86 of mitral incompetence complicated by other lesions, 3 of aoitic
incompetence, and 65 of congenital defects. In 13 cases of acquired heart lesions, the heart condition