Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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condition was most noteworthy, and in one case was commented upon most favourably
by the hospital orthopaedic surgeon under whom the girl was being treated.
The children's club has been affiliated to the London Swimming Association and the
children attend on an equal footing with normal children and compete for their
certificates exactly on the same terms as the others. The certificates obtained
have been:— ¼mile, 1; 100 yards, 3; 50 yards, 4; 20 yards, 3; length,1.
The remainder either cannot swim as yet or can swim less than the width of the
baths. Their certificates are their most precious possessions. The chief benefit
is undoubtedly psychological—the knowledge that they can compete with and in
some cases beat normal children at a physical sport gives that self-confidence and
assurance which is so difficult under ordinary circumstances to instil into the cripple
child. They have all improved in general health and, according to the headmistress,
in intelligence.
The following table shows the number of cases notified to the local authority by the Education Authority under section 2 (2) of the Mental Deficiency Act, 1913, during the year 1928:—
Boys. | Girls. | |
---|---|---|
(a) Feebleminded— | ||
(1) Leavers | 66 (49) | 85 (74) |
(2) Detrimental | 3 (2) | 6 (4) |
(3) Special circumstances | 3 (0) | 0 (0) |
(4) Ineducable | 0 (0) | 0 (1) |
(6) Imbecile | 96 (79) | 79 (73) |
(c) Idiot | 6 (5) | 12 (5) |
*(d) Moral imbecile | 1 (0) | 1 (0) |
Total 358 (292) | 175 (135) | 183 (157) |
Mental
Deficiency
Acts.
Cases
notified to
the local
authority.
• The Mental Deficiency (Amendment) Act came into operation as from 1st January, 1928, but the Board
of Education regulations applicable thereto did not come into force until the following October. In the
interval the child had been examined and deemed to be a moral imbecile and so notified to the local authority.
The medical work of the Special Schools for the deaf is under the charge of Mr.
Yearsley, who reports that the character of the work, after the sudden increase in
volume, due to the special investigation as to the number of deaf children in the
elementary schools, has returned this year still more to the ordinary type, and 338
children only were seen in comparison with 450 in 1927.
Mr.
Yearslev's
report on
deaf
children.
Again adopting the plan of comparing three years, in the following table showing the work done, the numbers are placed in parallel columns:—
Fit for | 1928. | 1927. | 1926. | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | Percentage. | No. | Percentage. | No. | Percentage. | |
Central School | 3 | 0.9 | 3 | 0.7 | 4 | 0.5 |
Elementary School | 19 | 5.6 | 23 | 5.1 | 73 | 9.6 |
„ „ and Treatment | 9 | 2'7 | 15 | 3.3 | 53 | 7.0 |
„ „ Front Row | 80 | 23.7 | 106 | 23.5 | 190 | 24.9 |
„ „ „ „ and Treatment | 54 | 16.0 | 78 | 17.3 | 137 | 17.9 |
Hard of Hearing | 61 | 18.0 | 80 | 17.8 | 149 | 19.5 |
Deaf, Normal | 50 | 14.8 | 74 | 16.4 | 68 | 8.9 |
,, and Defective | 12 | 3.5 | 7 | 1.6 | 12 | 1.6 |
Physically Defective | 2 | 0.6 | 3 | 0.7 | 0.0 | |
Mentally Defective | 18 | 5.3 | 8 | 1.8 | 18 | 2.4 |
Imbecile | 1 | 0.2 | 2 | 0.3 | ||
Advice Given | 28 | 8.3 | 44 | 9.8 | 42 | 5.5 |
Invalided | 2 | 0.6 | 8 | 1.8 | 15 | 1.9 |
Total | 338 | 100.0 | 450 | 100.0 | 763 | 100.0 |