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51
efficient of correlation (r) between mental and chronological age is .757 ± .003. The standard deviation
of mental age is 1.570 ± .009, and of chronological age is 2.615 ± .015. The mean chronological
age = 9.837 ± .021 and the mean mental age = 6 546 ± .013.

For children deemed to be incapable of deriving benefit in special schools by reason of being imbeciles
or idiots, the corresponding data from 1,838 cases were as follows:—The regression equation becomes,
mental age (years) = .265 times chronological age (years) + .76. The co-efficient of correlation (r) between
mental and chronological age is .662 ± .009. The standard deviation of mental age is 1.055 ± .012,
and of chronological age is 2.634 ± .029. The mean mental age is 3.41 ± .023, and the mean chronological
age is 10.0 ± .041.
Dr. Boome, with the assistance of the headmaster and headmistress of the Cork-street school,
has investigated the use of the Healy B picture completion test, with a view to standardising its use as
a test for defectives. The test consists of a series of pictures, depicting the incidents in a boy's day.
From each picture a square piece has been removed, and the test consists in placing a suitable piece to
fill up the gap, selected from the 60 like squares, each of which depicts an object or objects making up
the set. For each picture there are some four possible solutions of varying value, the rest of the alternatives
being quite illogical. For each picture an assessment was made of the respective values and
marks from 5 to 1 assigned as the value. The total number of marks which could be obtained was 55,
and from the results obtained it would appear that the test might be used, with reasonable precautions,
for children of the age of 11 or over. The importance of the test depends not so much on its merits as
an indicator of mental age as on the light it throws on the nature of the associations, the powers of
planning and the degree of self-criticism shown by the subject.
Standardising
of Healy
B picture
completion
test.
During the year attention was attracted to the cases of children returning to school after suffering
from encephalitis lethargica. Dr. F. C. Shrubsall and Dr. E. J. Boome have made investigations in
regard to these cases, which are specially noted and indexed, and attempts will be made to follow them
up so as to record the later history. Detailed notes are available in regard to 19 children, some of whom
have been seen on several occasions.
Encephalitis
lethargica.
As regards the type of case, in the majority the initial illness was characterised by fever and
lethargy of varying degree. In three cases there were also symptoms difficult to distinguish from
meningitis. Two cases showed marked choreiform movements, and two others showed marked tremors
of the hand, and one presented a head-nodding tic.
Most of the children affected attracted attention in school owing either to a falling off of the
educational attainments or to marked irritability or disturbances of conduct. So far as a general description
can be given of cases of such varied type, they may be said to show a combination of apathy with
momentary irritability and with some failure of moral inhibitions. A marked feature is the rapid onset
of fatigue and inattention ; the children fail at tests which require prolonged planning and concentration
or much exercise of self-criticism. The intellectual impairment seems to arise chiefly from an inhibition
of volition. The majority of the cases show a heightened sensibility to environmental stresses, a greater
tendency to introspection and a heightened degree of suggestibility, so that in some instances there
were definite neurotic symptoms.
On the whole, the cases may be said to have made favourable progress towards recovery, the order
being first of all an improvement in the physical conditions, the squint and diplopia disappearing within
from one to two years of the onset, then a recovery in intellectual activities spread over a slightly longer
period and lastly, often much later and slower, a recovery in the conduct. It should be noted that
misconduct has shown itself chiefly in violent behaviour and wilful damage, but in some instances as
petty pilfering.
Of the 20 cases, 9 still show physical disabilities, 3 in the form of paralysis, 5 in the form of a
tremor or choreiform movements, and 1 in a form of blindness due to optic atrophy. So far as the
mental condition is concerned, there was little intellectual impairment to be noted in 11, a slight intellectual
impairment in 4, and marked intellectual impairment in 5. On the temperamental side, irritability
with outbursts of temper was to be noted in 9 cases, marked restlessness in 3, and no special features
in 8. The lethargy has cleared up in all the cases, but 6 were reported from school to tend to sleep, particularly
over uninteresting lessons. This condition was reported as improving on the occasion of
subsequent visits. The condition is of particular importance, since there has been a tendency to notify
such cases under the Mental Deficiency Act. Legally it is very doubtful whether such cases could
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