View report page

36
the Poor Law; 300 removed from the register (died, discharged or removed to lunatic asylums) and 374
still under consideration.

Dr. Shurubsall has commenced an analysis of the cases examined under the provisions og the Mental
Deficiency Act, 1913.
The chief causes of deficiency would appear to be simple primary amentiajoccuxring in children of
relatively inferior stock, although a history of actual mental deficiency in preceding generations was
obtained only in a limited number of cases.

The diagnosis of deficiency has been based on the conduct of the individual as shown by his re-action
to his environment, supplemented by his performance to order in the case of certain definite mental tests.
Since the Binet-Simon tests are required in any report to the Board of Education these have necessarily
to form the basis of examination of all cases of school age, and the method has been employed with minor
modifications to those of other ages.
The relation between mental and chronological age is shown in the accompanying tables which
distinguish between the cases examined and deemed defective within the meaning of the Mental Deficiency
Act, 1913, and those examined under the provisions of the Elementary Education (Defective and Epileptic
Children) Acts, 1899-1914. In the latter case the results for children deemed ineducable, those capable of
education in a special school, and those deemed suitable for a further trial in an ordinary school, are shown
separately.
The decisions with regard to children are based on the history of their conduct, their response to
graduated mental tests, evidence as to their educational attainments, and any facts which are known as
'' street intelligence," capacity for playing games, occupations outside school (if any), and the like.