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52
ever be regarded as coming within the purview of this Act; it may be noted that in most instances
the age of onset was in the early years of the second decade of life, prior to which the subjects had shown
evidences of normal mental development, so that there was no congenital failure of mental development.
The mental arrest appears not to be complete.
The youngest child observed had suffered from encephalitis in the second year of life and was in
a lethargic condition in hospital for three weeks. Previous to this he had been described as a bright
baby, but after his illness he became dirty, vicious, with a tendency to coprophagia. When seen at the
age of 4½ his mental age on tests was from 2½ to 3 years, and from a description given it would seem that
a slight improvement was being made. The encephalitis had not, therefore, caused a complete arrest
of mental development, although this had been very seriously retarded.
It has been suggested that some cases come within the category of moral imbecility, but in view
of the definite relation between the onset of misconduct and the disease, coupled with the abundant
evidences of improvement in many cases after a lapse of time, it would seem that it would be impossible
to state that there was a permanent mental defect without very prolonged observation. The clash
between an irritable child of somewhat introverted mentality and the stresses of environment readily
gives rise to neurotic symptoms, which in many instances may amount to a definite conversion hysteria.
While under observation some of these cases have been entirely cleared up, others have materially
improved.
Comparison
of offences
committed by
normal and
defective
children.
In connection with the work under the Mental Deficiency Act, attention has often to be paid to
the circumstances whereby a given child commits a given offence and it seems that a comparison of the
offences committed by normal and defective children would be of interest. Vice and crime are found
among defectives of all grades as among normal subjects and in the case of the clearly feebleminded or
imbecile, many delinquencies can be ascribed to lack of appreciation of the consequences or to an undue
suggestibility. Any child may become a criminal if residing in an environment which favours that
mode of life and the defectives are more easily led into crime ; their crimes having the hall-mark of inefficiency
and thus being in themselves a sign of low mental status. Charges of wandering and being
beyond the control of their parents are more common among defective children than the normal. It
might have been expected that a considerable proportion of mentally defective children would have been
found to have been associating with prostitutes or with criminal or drunken parents or guilty of sexual
offences, the figures show that this is not the case. The following table shows in percentage form a
comparison of the offences committed by normal and defective children :—
Offences.
Defective children.
Normal children.
Boys.
Girls.
Total.
Boys.
Girls.
Total.
Wandering 15.5 41.9.1 19.9 5.0 12.1 5.6
Begging 5.2. 3.2 4.8 4.3 3.6 4.2
Stealing 51.6 19.4 46.2 74.3 34.4 70.7
Soliciting - - - 0.2 0.9 0.3
Indecent exposure 0.6 — 0.5 — — —
Attempted suicide — — — 0.2 — 0.2
Wound ng 0.6 — 0.5 — — —
Living in a brothel — 3.2 0.5 0.7 6.7 1.2
Destitute 0.6 — 0.5 0.2 2.7 0.4
Frequenting company of reputed thieves 0.6 3.2 1.0 0.1 0.9 0.2
Education Act (truanting) 7.8 6.5 7.5 3.7 20.1 5.1
Improper guardianship, criminal or drunken parents — — — — 1.3 0.1
Minor offences — — — 6.2 3.9 6.1
Beyond control 17.4 22.6 18.2 5.1 13.4 5.9
Physically
defective
schools.
A question has arisen as to the retention in special schools for the physically defective of children
suffering from loss of a limb. There are 98 children in the schools for the physically defective who have
lost a single limb, in 7 of these cases it is the arm and in 91 the leg. In addition, 1 child has lost both
legs ; 2 children have lost both arms and 1 child has lost an arm and part of a foot Of the 7 children
who have lost one arm; 2 are in need of further treatment; 2 have defects of lower limbs also and
2 others are said to be very unsteady on their feet, and to be unable to guard themselves from accident.
Of the 91 cases who have lost 1 leg, 21 children had the leg amputated on account of tuberculosis and
need specialised observation both on account of debility and, in some cases, of the manifestation of the
disease. Of the total cases 21 have no apparatus and go about with crutches, and in several instances
they are not yet fit for an artificial limb, and in others its successful application is prevented by the
size of the stump. These children would be quite unsafe in an ordinary school. In 11 other cases a
change, or adjustment, of apparatus is needed and in 47 a peg leg or suitable apparatus is being worn.
No child is deemed suitable for a special school solely on the ground that it has a physical defect or
has lost a limb but because of the resulting inability to get about in streets on bus or tram, or to carry
out a reasonable part of the school curriculum. Children are examined at regular intervals and returned
to the ordinary school whenever this can be done with safety and efficiency.
Causes of
deafness.
Mr. Yearslev has made an analysis of causes of deafness in 158 cases seen for the first time in 1921.

Of the congenital cases, 8 were instances of true hereditary deafness, 32 of sporadic deaf-birth
and one was a case of congenital aphasia.